WORLD TRADE G/ADP/N/1/VEN/1/Suppl.2
G/SCM/N/1/VEN/1/Suppl.2
ORGANIZATION 4July1996
(96-2574)
Original: Spanish Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLES 18.5AND 32.6OFTHE AGREEMENTS
VENEZUELA
Supplement
Thefollowing communication, dated 28May1996, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Mission ofVenezuela.
_______________
ThePermanent Mission ofVenezuela totheUnited Nations Office andtheother International
Organizations withheadquarters atGeneva presents itscompliments totheSecretariat oftheWorld
Trade Organization (WTO), andherewith provides notification -inaccordance withtheprovisions
ofArticle 16.5oftheAgreement onImplementation ofArticle VIoftheGeneral Agreement onTariffs
andTrade 1994 andArticle 25.12 oftheAgreement onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures -of
theauthority competent toinitiate andconduct investigations referred toinArticles 5and11respectively
ofthesaidAgreements; atthesametime,information isprovided onthedomestic procedures governing
theinitiation andconduct oftheinvestigations.
1. Competent authority
Theauthority competent toconduct investigations inrespect ofdumping orsubsidization and
injury tothedomestic industry producing likegoods inVenezuela istheAnti-Dumping andSubsidies
Commission (CASS), adecentralized bodyunder theMinistry ofDevelopment (shortly tobeattached
totheMinistryofIndustryandTrade),whichisempoweredtoadoptalldecisionsregardingtheinitiation,
suspension orconclusion ofdumping orsubsidy investigations; todecide ontheexistence or
non-existence ofdumping orsubsidization andinjury tothedomestic industry; toaccept undertakings,
etc.(Articles 27and33oftheLawonUnfair Foreign Trade Practices -LSPDCI).
TheCASS iscomposed ofaChairman andfourmembers withtheirrespective alternates.
Alldecisions oftheCommission aretaken byanabsolute majority ofitsvoting members (Articles 28
and32,LSPDCI). TheCommission alsohasaTechnical Secretariat which isthebody responsible
forverifying andimplementing theCommission 'sdecisions. TheTechnical Secretariat oftheCASS
isempowered toreceive applications forinvestigation, tocarry outtheprocedure concerning dumping
orsubsidies andinjury tothedomestic industry, tocoordinate theinvestigations, toelaborate andpresent
totheCASS therelevant technical studies, etc.TheTechnical Secretariat isadministered bythe
Chairman oftheCommission.G/ADP/N/1/VEN/1/Suppl.2
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2. Procedure
Theprocedure fordetermining theexistence ofdumping orsubsidization andinjury tothe
domestic industry producing likegoods maybeinitiated attherequest ofaninterested party(Article 37,
LSPDCI) orexofficio (Article 38,LSPDCI). Where aninvestigation isinitiated attherequest ofan
interested party, theapplicant mustfulfilasetofrequirements relating totheidentification oftheparties,
thedescription ofthegoods, thepresentation ofevidence concerning theexistence ofdumping or
subsidies andinjury, etc.(Article 39oftheLSPDCI andArticles 61-66 oftheRegulations under the
LSPDCI). Where aninvestigation isinitiated exofficio ,theCASS musthavesufficient evidence of
theexistence ofdumping orsubsidization andinjury tothedomestic industry (Article 38oftheLSPDCI,
Article 5.6oftheAnti-Dumping Agreement andArticle 11.6oftheAgreement onSubsidies and
Countervailing Measures).
Once theapplication forinvestigation hasbeenreceived, theTechnical Secretariat oftheCASS
hasfiveworking daysinwhich todecide whether itmeets therequirements laiddown bytheLaw,
theRegulations andtheAnti-Dumping andSubsidies Agreements (Article 40,LSPDCI). Ifthe
application doesnotmeet therequirements foropening theinvestigation, itwillbereturned tothe
applicant forthelatter tomake good-within 15working days-theomissions orshortcomings found
intheapplication (Article 40,LSPDCI). Iftheapplication meets therequirements fortheopening
oftheinvestigation, itwillbetransmitted totheCASS forthelatter todecide whether toinitiate the
investigation; otherwise, theapplication willnotbeallowed (Articles 40and41,LSPDCI). TheCASS
has10working daystodecide whether toinitiate theinvestigation (Article 41,LSPDCI). Once the
investigation hasbeeninitiated, thedecision oftheCASS mustbenotified toalltheparties concerned
andpublished intheOfficial Gazette oftheRepublic ofVenezuela (Articles 27and42,LSPDCI).
Moreover, anannouncement containing anextract fromthedecision toinitiate theinvestigation must
bepublished intwonewspapers attheexpense oftheapplicant (Article 42,LSPDCI, single paragraph).
When theseformalities havebeenfulfilled, theprocess ofinvestigation andverification willbeinitiated
(Article 42,LSPDCI, single paragraph, andArticle 42,LSPDCI Regulations).
2.2 Verification phase
Theverification phase begins when alltheparties concerned bytheinvestigation havebeen
notified, theannouncement containing anextract fromthedecision toopentheinvestigation hasbeen
published inthenational press, andcopies oftheannouncement havebeenprovided totheTechnical
Secretariat (Article 69,LSPDCI Regulations). Evidence andarguments aretobepresented bythe
interested parties within aperiod of60working daysfromthedateofcompletion ofthese formalities
(Article 45,LSPDCI). Questionnaires arealsosenttotheinterested parties, requiring aresponse within
30working days, with apossibility ofextension (Article 43,LSPDCI andArticle 70,
LSPDCI Regulations). Moreover, theTechnical Secretariat carries outalltheinvestigations required
todetermine theexistence ofdumping orsubsidies andinjury tothedomestic industry, andvisits the
headquarters ofthefirms involved intheinvestigation inorder thecheck theinformation supplied and
carry outon-the-spot investigations. Thetime-limit forconclusion oftheinvestigation intounfair
practices andinjury isoneyearfromthedateofitsinitiation, unless exceptional circumstances require
otherwise (Article 51,LSPDCI andArticle 73,LSPDCI Regulations).
2.3 Termination phase
When theTechnical Secretariat hasconcluded theinvestigation, itisrequired totransmit to
theCASS afinaltechnical report sothatthelattermaydecide whether toimpose definitive anti-dumping
orcountervailing duties. Upon receipt ofthefinalreport, theCASS has30working daysinwhich
toadopt itsfinaldecision (Article 51,LSPDCI). Should theCASS decide toimpose definitive duties,G/ADP/N/1/VEN/1/Suppl.2
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itmusttransmit thatdecision tothecustoms authority forthelatter tobegin collecting theduties. It
willalsoarrangefortheexecutionofsecuritiesorthedefinitivelevyingofanyprovisionaldutiesimposed
(Article 51,LSPDCI andArticles 75and76,LSPDCI Regulations). Intheevent thattheCASS decides
nottoimpose definitive duties, therelevant decision mustbetransmitted tothecustoms authority with
anorder torelease anysecurities deposited orrefund anyprovisional duties imposed (Articles 51and52,
LSPDCI).
2.4 Other procedural aspects
Notification. Alldecisions bytheCASS mustbenotified totheinterested parties inperson,
including thedomestic producer orproducers, importers, exporters andcountries under investigation.
Suchdecisions mustalsobepublished intheOfficial Gazette oftheRepublic ofVenezuela (Article 27,
LSPDCI).
Provisional duties. TheCASS mayimpose provisional anti-dumping orcountervailing duties,
provided always thatatleast60working dayshaveelapsed since theinitiation oftheinvestigation,
thatapreliminary affirmative determination hasbeenmade ofdumping orsubsidies andinjury to
thedomestic industry, andthattheCASS considers suchmeasures tobenecessary toprevent injury
tothedomestic industry during theinvestigation (Article 19oftheLSPDCI, Article 53oftheLSPDCI
Regulations,Article7.1oftheAnti-DumpingAgreementandArticle17.1oftheAgreementonSubsidies
andCountervailingMeasures).Provisionalmeasuresmayremaininforcefornomorethanfourmonths.
Judicial review. Alldecisions oftheCASS aresubject toappeal intheFirstAdministrative
Court.
Confidentiality. TheTechnical Secretariat mayapply confidential treatment totheinformation
supplied bytheinterested parties (Article 48,oftheLSPDCI).
Undertakings. TheCASS mayconclude orsuspend ananti-dumping orsubsidy investigation
before taking afinaldecision, when undertakings aregiven withregard toprices orthetotalelimination
ofexports (Article 23,LSPDCI).
ThePermanent Mission ofVenezuela avails itselfoftheopportunity torenew totheSecretariat
oftheWorld Trade Organization (WTO) theassurances ofitshighest consideration.