Notice of initiation of a partial interim review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of certain tube or pipe fittings, of iron or steel, originating, inter alia, in Thailand

(2004/C 96/04)

The Commission has received a request for a partial interim review pursuant to Article 11(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96(1) ("the basic Regulation").

1. REQUEST FOR REVIEW

The request was lodged by the Defence Committee of the Steel Butt-Welding Fittings Industry of the European Union on behalf of four Community producers ("the applicant").

The request is limited in scope to the examination of dumping as far as Thai Benkan Co. Ltd is concerned.

2. PRODUCT

The product under review is tube or pipe fittings (other than cast fittings, flanges and threaded fittings), of iron or steel (not including stainless steel), with a greatest external diameter not exceeding 609,6 mm, of a kind used for butt-welding or other purposes, originating in Thailand (the "product concerned"), normally declared within CN codes ex 7307 93 11, ex 7307 93 19, ex 7307 99 30 and ex 7307 99 90. These codes are given only for information.

3. EXISTING MEASURES

The measure currently in force for Thai Benkan Co. Ltd is a definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Council Regulation (EC) No 964/2003(2) on imports of certain tube or pipe fittings, of iron or steel, originating, inter alia, in Thailand, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 2212/2003(3).

4. GROUNDS FOR THE REVIEW

The request pursuant to Article 11(3) is based on the prima facie evidence, provided by the applicant, that, as far as Thai Benkan Co. Ltd is concerned, the circumstances with regard to dumping have changed significantly.

The applicant alleges that the existing measure on imports of the product under review from Thai Benkan Co. Ltd is no longer sufficient to counteract the dumping which is causing injury. The allegation of increased dumping is based on a comparison of Thai Benkan Co. Ltd's domestic prices with its export prices of the product concerned to the Community. On this basis, the dumping margin calculated would be significantly higher than the dumping found in the previous investigation that led to the existing duty rate.

5. PROCEDURE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF DUMPING

Having determined, after consulting the Advisory Committee, that sufficient evidence exists to justify the initiation of a partial interim review, the Commission hereby initiates a review in accordance with Article 11(3) of the basic Regulation.

(a) Questionnaires

In order to obtain the information it deems necessary for its investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to Thai Benkan Co. Ltd and to the Thai authorities. This information and supporting evidence should reach the Commission within the time limit set in point 6(a) of this notice.

(b) Collection of information and holding of hearings

All interested parties are hereby invited to make their views known, submit information other than questionnaire replies and to provide supporting evidence. This information and supporting evidence must reach the Commission within the time limit set in paragraph 6(a) of this notice.

Furthermore, the Commission may hear interested parties, provided that they make a request showing that there are particular reasons why they should be heard. This request must be made within the time limit set in paragraph 6(b) of this notice.

6. TIME LIMITS

(a) For parties to make themselves known, to submit questionnaire replies and any other information

All interested parties, if their representations are to be taken into account during the investigation, must make themselves known by contacting the Commission, present their views and submit questionnaire replies or any other information within 40 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, unless otherwise specified. Attention is drawn to the fact that the exercise of most procedural rights set out in the basic Regulation depends on the party's making itself known within the aforementioned period.

(b) Hearings

All interested parties may also apply to be heard by the Commission within the same 40-day time limit.

7. WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS, QUESTIONNAIRE REPLIES AND CORRESPONDENCE

All submissions and requests made by interested parties must be made in writing (not in electronic format, unless otherwise specified and must indicate the name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax, and/or telex numbers of the interested party). All written submissions, including the information requested in this notice, questionnaire replies and correspondence provided by interested parties on a confidential basis shall be labelled as "Limited"(4) and, in accordance with Article 19(2) of the basic Regulation, shall be accompanied by a non-confidential version, which will be labelled "For inspection by interested parties".

Commission address for correspondence: European Commission Directorate General for Trade

Directorate B

Office: J-79, 5/16 B - 1049 Brussels Belgium Fax (32-2) 295 65 05 Telex COMEU B 21877.

8. NON-COOPERATION

In cases in which any interested party refuses access to or otherwise does not provide the necessary information within the time limits, or significantly impedes the investigation, findings, affirmative or negative, may be made in accordance with Article 18 of the basic Regulation, on the basis of the facts available.

Where it is found that any interested party has supplied false or misleading information, the information shall be disregarded and use may be made of the facts available. If an interested party does not co-operate, or co-operates only partially, and findings are therefore based on facts available in accordance with Article 18, the result may be less favourable to the party than if it had cooperated.

(1) OJ L 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1, as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 461/2004 (OJ L 77, 13.3.2004, p. 12).

(2) OJ L 139, 6.6.2003, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 332, 19.12.2003, p. 3.

(4) This means that the document is for internal use only. It is protected pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43). It is a confidential document pursuant to Article 19 of Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 (OJ L 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1) and Article 6 of the WTO Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti-Dumping Agreement).