Commercial Information Circulars

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Ref : EIC 230/2/3/2/13

9 January 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 28/2009

European Union (EU)* : Initiation of a Partial Interim Review of the Anti-dumping Measures on Imports of Ironing Boards Originating in the Mainland of China

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 186/2007 of 26 April 2007, the European Commission (the Commission) has published a notice to initiate a partial interim review of the anti-dumping measures imposed on imports of ironing boards originating in the Mainland of China. The notice can be accessed through the following link : 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:003:0014:0016:EN:PDF.

DETAILS

Ground for the Review

2. The review is initiated at the request of Guangzhou Power Team Houseware Co. Ltd., Guangzhou (the applicant), and is limited in scope to the examination of dumping as far as the applicant is concerned.
3. The applicant provides prima facie evidence that the circumstances on the basis of which measures were imposed have changed and that these changes are of a lasting nature. In particular, the applicant has provided prima facie evidence showing that a comparison of its normal values and export prices to the Community indicates that the dumping margin appears to be substantially lower than the current level of the measure. Therefore, the continued application of the measure at its current level is no longer necessary to offset dumping.

Review Procedures

4. Salient points of the partial interim review are set out below-

   (a) Date of Publication of the Notice of Initiation	:	8 January 2009
   (b) Product Coverage	:	Ironing boards, whether or not free-standing, with or without a steam soaking and/or heating top and/or blowing top, including sleeve boards, and essential parts thereof, i.e. the legs, the top and the iron rest, falling within CN codes ex 3924 90 90, ex 4421 90 98, ex 7323 93 90, ex 7323 99 91, ex 7323 99 99, ex 8516 79 70 and ex 8516 90 00 (The CN codes are given only for information).
   (c) Procedures	:	In order to obtain information for the investigation, the Commission will send a questionnaire to the applicant and a copy to the authorities of the Mainland of China. All interested parties must make themselves known, present their views and submit questionnaire replies or any other information within 40 days from 8 January 2009, unless otherwise specified. They may also apply to be heard within 40 days from 8 January 2009. The Commission will send market economy treatment or individual treatment claims form to the applicant and a copy to the authorities of the Mainland of China. The applicant's duly substantiated claim for market economy treatment and/or for individual treatment must reach the Commission within 15 days from 8 January 2009. It is envisaged to choose Turkey as a market economy country for the purpose of establishing normal value in respect of the Mainland of China. Interested parties are invited to comment on the appropriateness of this choice within 10 days from 8 January 2009. All correspondence must be made in writing (not in electronic format, unless otherwise specified) indicating the name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of the interested party and should be sent to the following address : European Commission Directorate General for Trade Directorate H Office: N 105 4/92 B-1049 Brussels Fax : (32-2) 295 65 05 If interested parties consider that they are encountering difficulties in the exercise of their rights of defence, they may request the intervention of the Hearing Officer, who offers, where necessary, mediation on procedural matters affecting the protection of their interests in this proceeding, in particular, with regard to issues concerning access to the file, confidentiality, extension of time limits and the treatment of written and/or oral submission of views. For further information and contact details, interested parties may consult the Hearing Officer's web pages on the website of DG Trade (http://ec.europa.eu/trade).
   (d) Investigation Schedule	:	Investigation will be concluded within 15 months from 8 January 2009.

BACKGROUND

5. Definitive anti-dumping duty on ironing boards originating in, inter alia, the Mainland of China has been imposed since 27 April 2007. The current duty in force is 38.1% of the net, free-at-Community-frontier price before duty (except for 5 companies whose individual duty rates range from 0% to 36.5%).

ENQUIRIES

6. For enquiries concerning the contents of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

(Chandler CHAN)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

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