In order to obtain necessary information for the investigation, the Commission will send questionnaires to exporters/producers and the associations of exporters/producers in Morocco and the mainland of China, importers and the associations of importers in the Community which cooperated in the investigation that led to the existing measures or which are listed in the request and to the authorities of the mainland of China and Morocco.

Interested parties which have not received the questionnaire should request a copy from the Commission within 15 days from 18 February 2004.

All interested parties may make their views known in writing (including submitting questionnaire replies) and apply to be heard by the Commission within 40 days from 18 February 2004 unless otherwise specified.

All correspondence must be made in writing (not in electronic format, unless otherwise specified) indicating the name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax, and/or telex numbers and should be sent to the following address :

European Commission
Directorate General for Trade
Directorate B
J-79 05/16
B-1049 Brussels

Fax : (32-2) 295 6505

Telex : COMEU B 21877

With effect from 19 February 2004, steel ropes and cables, classifiable under CN codes ex 7312 1082, ex 7312 1084, ex 7312 1086, ex 7312 1088 and ex 7312 1099 (TARIC codes 7312 10 82 12, 7312 10 84 12, 7312 10 86 12, 7312 10 88 12, 7312 10 99 12), consigned from Morocco, whether declared as originating in Morocco or not, have been subject to registrations by the EU's customs authorities. The registration shall expire nine months from 19 February 2004.

Should the anti-dumping duties applicable to imports of steel ropes and cables originating in the mainland of China be extended to the imports of the same products consigned from Morocco, such duties may be collected retroactively from the date of registration of such imports consigned from Morocco.

Imports of the products concerned may be exempted from registration or measures if the importation does not constitute circumvention.

Producers wishing to obtain an exemption from registration of imports or measures should apply for the exemption and submit the questionnaire reply within 40 days from 18 February 2004 unless otherwise specified. Although no exemption could be granted purely on the basis of information from importers, such importers could still benefit from exemption from registration or measures to the extent that their imports are from producers which are granted such an exemption.