WRITTEN QUESTION E-2770/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Anti-dumping duty on fax machines from the Far East.
Date: 2001-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Far East, South-East Asia, anti-dumping duty, facsimile, import, office equipment, originating product

C 134 E/96

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

As regards fruit and vegetables, there are major variations in price across the Community. Furthermore,
intervention is limited to a safety net system set at a very low level. It is therefore important not to
overestimate the likely effects of price alignment on the date of accession.

in many high value added processed products (e.g. milk desserts, cheeses, confectionery, soft
Finally,
drinks), the raw products represent only a small part of the final cost. For this type of product, changes in
agricultural product costs will have only a small effect on the final retail costs.

Significant liberalisation of trade between the Community and Estonia in agricultural and processed
agricultural products has already been agreed: approximately 85 % of
the traditional Community
agricultural
imports from Estonia are now duty-free, while the total of the Community exports of
agricultural products to Estonia continues to be fully liberalised. A second round of bilateral negotiations
for trade liberalisation is presently being prepared, which would cover more sensitive sectors, in which
current trade is low, in particular due to a high degree of tariff protection. The Commission expects that
this liberalisation process will result in de facto free trade on both sides. This could further encourage price
alignment prior to accession and therefore further reduce the likelihood of consumers facing price shocks
upon accession.

(2002/C 134 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2770/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 October 2001)

Subject: Anti-dumping duty on fax machines from the Far East

In late April/early May 1998 the Council decided that the anti-dumping duty on personal fax machines
from the Far East should continue to apply. The decision affected fax machines from China, Japan, South
Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The punitive rate of duty made the machines more
expensive to consumers.

What has happened in the meantime, does the anti-dumping duty still apply, and on what grounds?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(15 November 2001)

On 1 July 2000, before the end of the original five year measures, the Commission initiated an interim
review and invited interested parties to present their comments (on i. a. product definition) and to provide
details of the technical specifications of all personal fax machines. A second Notice of Initiation for the
above proceeding was published on 30 October 2000 (1). This notice contained a proposed new product
definition intended to eliminate circumvention.

This review is still ongoing and the Commission is obviously doing its utmost to bring it to a rapid
conclusion, expected by the end of the year. In the meantime, the anti-dumping duties imposed by Council
Regulation (EC) No 904/98 of 27 April 1998 imposing definitive anti-dumping duties on imports into the
Community of personal fax machines originating in the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of
Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand (2) stay in force.

(1) OJ C 311, 31.10.2000.
(2) OJ L 128, 30.4.1998.