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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/3/2/13 

14 December 2004

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 320/2004

European Union (EU)* : Result of Expiry Review of the Anti-dumping Measures on Imports of Certain Ring Binder Mechanisms Originating in the Mainland of China

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 21/2002 of 31 January 2002, the Council of the EU (the Council) has published a regulation announcing the decision to maintain the anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of certain ring binder mechanisms originating in the mainland of China consequent to an expiry review. A copy of the regulation is at Annex (pdf format) for reference. Salient points are set out below -

(a) Product : Ring binder mechanisms consisting of two rectangular steel sheets or wires with at least four half-rings made of steel wire fixed on them and which are kept together by a steel cover, opened either by pulling the half-rings or with a small steel-made trigger mechanism fixed to the ring binder mechanisms, classified within CN code ex 8305 1000.
(b) Rate of Duty : The rate of the definitive anti-dumping duty applicable to the net, free-at-Community-frontier price, before duty, shall be as follows -

(i) for mechanisms with 17 and 23 rings (TARIC codes 8305 10 00 21, 8305 10 00 22 and 8305 10 00 29), the amount of duty shall be equal to the difference between the minimum import price of EUR 325 per 1000 pieces and the net, free-at-Community-frontier price before duty;

(ii) for mechanisms other than those with 17 or 23 rings (TARIC codes 8305 10 00 11, 8305 10 00 12 and 8305 10 00 19), the rate of duty is 78.8% (except for one company with an individual duty rate at 51.2%).

The customs duties shall apply for the products concerned, unless otherwise specified.
(c) Effective Date : 5 December 2004
(d) Duration : Four years

BACKGROUND

  1.  
  2. Definitive anti-dumping duties on certain ring binder mechanisms originating in the mainland of China have been imposed since 25 January 1997. The rate of duty for mechanisms with 17 and 23 rings was the difference between the minimum import price of ECU 325 per 1,000 pieces and the free-at-Community-frontier not cleared through customs price. The rate of duty for mechanisms other than those with 17 or 23 rings was 39.4% of the net, free-at-Community-frontier price before duty except for one company at 32.5%. Following an interim review, the rate of duty has been revised since 6 October 2000. The revised rate for mechanisms other than those with 17 or 23 rings was 78.8% of the net, free-at-Community-frontier price before duty (except for one company at 51.2%) while the duty rate for mechanisms with 17 and 23 rings was maintained.
  3. On 23 October 2001, two Community producers, Koloman Handler AG and Krause Ringbuchtechnik GmbH requested an expiry review alleging that there would be a continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury to the Community industry with the expiry of the anti-dumping duty. The Commission therefore initiated an expiry review on 24 January 2002. The anti-dumping duty remained in force pending the outcome of the expiry review.
  4. Based on the findings of a circumvention investigation, the Council further extended, with effect from 2 July 2004, the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of certain ring binder mechanisms originating in the mainland of China to imports of the same products consigned from Vietnam, whether declared as originating in Vietnam or not (TARIC codes 8305 10 00 11 and 8305 10 00 21).

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5351.




Yours faithfully,



(Ricky CHENG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.



  • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.