The Coalition’s plan to strengthen Australia’s anti-dumping regime

07/11/11

Download policy document here.

Australian industries will get a fairer go at combating international dumping under the Coalition’s Anti-Dumping Policy released today.

Dumping sees Australian businesses subjected to goods imported into the domestic market at below production cost or through unlawful subsidies from other governments.

It is a tactic that provides the illusion of a short-term benefit to consumers. In the longer term, international dumping hollows out Australian industry, decreases competition, costs jobs and increases prices.

International dumping seeks to exploit Australia’s commitment to free trade.

Stronger action against dumping makes the playing field fairer for Australian businesses and ensures the illegal activities of overseas businesses do not undermine Australia’s commitment to free trade.

The current anti-dumping laws are cumbersome, slow and prohibitively expensive for many Australian businesses to utilise.

The Coalition will introduce a more effective anti-dumping regime ensuring that good Australian businesses get a fair go.

The Coalition’s Plan to Strengthen Australia’s Anti-Dumping Regime will:

1. Transfer anti-dumping responsibilities from Customs to the Department of Industry;

2. Reverse the onus of proof in anti-dumping investigations;

3. Commit more funding for anti-dumping investigations;

4. Hire an additional 20 specialist anti-dumping investigators;

5. Introduce more stringent and rigorous enforcement of deadlines for submissions;

6. Crack down on those overseas producers who don’t cooperate with anti-dumping investigations, and

7. Strengthen enforcement of the provisions of the WTO Agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures.

Australian industries and businesses don’t want government hand-outs or protectionist quick fixes – they just want the Australian Government to understand and respond to the challenges facing Australian manufacturing.

A level playing field also means not burdening Australian businesses with a $9 billion a year carbon tax that increases the costs of all Australian goods and at the same time makes those businesses less competitive against all imports.