RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/AHG/W/36
18March 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1099)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
AdHocGroup onImplementation
TOPIC 6*-ARTICLE 6.2"HEARINGS"
TOPIC 7*-ARTICLE 6.9-DISCLOSURE OFESSENTIAL FACTS
Paper byIsrael
Thefollowing communication, dated 17March 1998, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofIsrael.
_______________
Inaccordance withWTO/AIR/750 of8January 1998, Israel ispleased tosubmit thefollowing
information which hasnotpreviously beensubmitted totheCommittee.
Topic 6-Article 6.2-Hearings
Israel'spresent anti-dumping lawdoesnotobligate theCommissioner toholdformal hearings
withtheinterested parties tothecomplaint during theinvestigation stageoftheprocedure. Inpractice,
however, informal hearings areacommon occurrence during theinvestigation stage oftheprocedure.
TheCommissioner willnotrelyinhisfindings onoralevidence heard during thesemeetings butrather
theparties arerequested tosubmit inwriting anyoralinformation which hasbeenpresented.
TheTrade Levies Law, obligates theAdvisory Committee, afterreceiving theCommissioner 's
findings, toholdaformal hearing before submitting theirrecommendations regarding theimposition
ofafinaldutytotheMinister ofTrade andIndustry. Parties totheinvestigation areinvited toappear
before theCommittee andstatetheirposition andviews concerning thecomplaint. TheLawenables
theCommittee toinvite anyadditional parties tomake theirviews known, ifintheCommittee 'sopinion
theywillaidintheCommittee 'swork. These parties mayinclude representatives oftheNational
Consumer Organization.
Awritten transcript ofthehearing iskeptonfile.
Inmany instances theparties arerepresented bylegalcounsel during thehearing although there
isnoobligation todoso.
Thesessions areclosed tothepublic.
*Seedocument G/ADP/W/401 fordescriptions oftopics.
./.G/ADP/AHG/W/36
Page2
Wewould liketonotethatalthough theofficial language inIsrael isHebrew, under certain
circumstances interested parties aregiven theopportunity tospeak inEnglish during thehearing (with
nosimultaneous translation backtoHebrew).
Topic 7-Article 6.9-Disclosure ofEssential Facts
Upon completing theinvestigation, theCommissioner submits hisfindings intheformofan
extensive report including ananalysis ofalltherelevant facts, views andarguments raised bytheparties
during theinvestigation. Thefindings oftheCommissioner which aresubmitted totheAdvisory
Committee, serve asabasis fortheformal hearing andasabasis fortheCommittee 'sdeliberations.
Thefull,non-confidential version ofthereport, inunabridged form, issimultaneously circulated to
theparties, prior totheformal hearing before theCommittee. TheCommittee thensubmits its
recommendations totheMinister ofTrade andIndustry forhisfinaldetermination. Thissystem of
circulating thefullreport oftheCommissioner 'sfindings priortotheformal hearings, helps toensure
transparency.
InpracticetheCommissioner'sextensivereport,aswellastherecommendationsbytheAdvisory
Committee, contain afulldescription ofthefollowing matters:
- adescription ofthecomplainant;
- adescription oftheproduct under investigation andlikeproduct;
- adescription oftheforeign producers andexporters;
- period ofinvestigation;
- ananalysis oftheexport price, normal value anddumping margin;
- analysis oftheinjury criteria;
- discussion ofthecausal linkandother factors which mayhavecaused injury;
- levelofdutywhich willeliminate injury.
ItisIsrael'sviewthattheessential factstobedisclosed totheparties before afinaldetermination
ismade, should include theabove matters.
Itshould benoted thatrecently apublic interest discussion hasbeenadded tothelistoftopics
addressed intheCommissioner 'sfindings.
__________