VAUXHALL ;
WHEREAS , WITH REGARD TO THE INJURY CAUSED BY THE DUMPED IMPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY INDUSTRY , THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMISSION SHOWS THAT IMPORTS INCREASED FROM 2 730 TONNES IN 1975 , TO 2 753 TONNES IN 1978 AND TO 3 954 TONNES IN 1979 BUT DECLINED TO APPROXIMATELY 2 700 TONNES IN 1980 ;
WHEREAS IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM , WHICH GENERALLY RECEIVES MORE THAN 90 % OF THESE IMPORTS AND WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR OVER 50 % OF COMMUNITY CONSUMPTION , DECREASED SLIGHTLY FROM 2 692 TONNES IN 1975 TO 2 603 TONNES IN 1978 BUT INCREASED TO 3 133 TONNES IN 1979 BEFORE DECLINING TO 2 433 TONNES IN 1980 ; WHEREAS , HOWEVER , IMPORTS INCREASED SHARPLY TO 336 TONNES IN THE FIRST MONTH OF 1981 ; WHEREAS THIS INCREASE IN JANUARY 1981 REPRESENTED THE HIGHEST JANUARY TOTAL FOR THREE YEARS AND THE HIGHEST TOTAL FOR ANY MONTH SINCE SEPTEMBER 1979 ; WHEREAS THE DECREASE IN IMPORTS IN 1980 , WHICH OCCURRED IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF THAT YEAR AFTER THE OPENING OF THE CURRENT ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATION , COINCIDED WITH A TEMPORARY SHORTAGE OF POTATOES IN SOME PARTS OF CANADA ;
WHEREAS THE EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH LEVEL OF IMPORTS IN 1976 AND 1977 , 7 931 TONNES AND 6 514 TONNES RESPECTIVELY , WAS DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HOT DRY SUMMERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1975 AND 1976 ; WHEREAS THIS DROUGHT LED TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASED POTATO PRICES WHICH SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN UNITED KINGDOM CONSUMPTION OF GRANULES AND A DECREASE IN UNITED KINGDOM PRODUCTION WHICH , AS A PERCENTAGE OF COMMUNITY PRODUCTION , FELL FROM OVER 50 % IN 1975 TO 18 % IN 1977 ; WHEREAS , DURING THIS PERIOD , IT WAS UNECONOMIC TO PRODUCE GRANULES FROM UNITED KINGDOM POTATOES AND ALL SECTORS OF THE INDUSTRY PURCHASED LARGE TONNAGES FROM NORTH AMERICA ;
WHEREAS THE MARKET SHARE OF CANADIAN IMPORTS IN THE COMMUNITY ROSE FROM 5.6 % IN 1975 TO 8 % IN 1979 AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FROM 9.6 TO 12.3 % IN THE SAME PERIOD ; WHEREAS , DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME , COMMUNITY CONSUMPTION ROSE FROM 48 927 TO 49 486 TONNES ;
WHEREAS CANADIAN PRICES CONTINUALLY UNDERCUT UNITED KINGDOM PRODUCERS ' PRICES BY UP TO 26 % DURING THE PERIOD OF INVESTIGATION ; WHEREAS THE UNDERCUTTING CONTINUED IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF 1980 WHEN THE LEVEL OF CANADIAN EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM DECLINED ;
WHEREAS THIS UNDERCUTTING RESULTED IN SALES OF BRITISH MANUFACTURES BEING RESTRICTED TO BELOW 1975 LEVELS ; WHEREAS SALES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY NETHERLANDS MANUFACTURERS , THE ONLY OTHER LARGE COMMUNITY PRODUCERS WHO SELL REGULARLY ON THE UNITED KINGDOM MARKET , DECLINED FROM OVER 2 400 TONNES IN 1978 TO 815 TONNES IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1980 , THOUGH DURING THE SAME PERIOD CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM INCREASED BY OVER 20 % ;
WHEREAS THIS UNDERCUTTING ALSO RESULTED IN CONSIDERABLY