relative file path for layout
Skip to main content  Skip to search  Skip to main menu
Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

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

25 October 2013

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 849/2013

European Union (EU) * : Initiation of an Expiry Review of the Anti-dumping Measures on Imports of Certain Prepared or Preserved Citrus Fruits (Namely Mandarins, etc.) Originating in the Mainland of China

Further to the Commercial Information Circular No. 262/2013 of 3 April 2013, the European Commission (the Commission) has published a notice to initiate an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures imposed on imports of certain prepared or preserved citrus fruits (namely mandarins, etc.) 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:2013:310:0009:0017:EN:PDF.

DETAILS

Ground for the Review

2.The expiry review is initiated at the request lodged on 12 August 2013 by Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de Transformados Vegetales y Alimentos Procesados ('FENAVAL') (the applicant) on behalf of producers representing more than 25 % of the total Union production of certain prepared or preserved citrus fruits (namely mandarins, etc.). According to the Commission, the applicant has provided evidence that, should the measures be allowed to lapse, the current import volume of the product under review from the Mainland of China to the Union is likely to increase at injurious price levels; and that the removal of injury has been mainly due to the existence of the measures and that any recurrence of substantial imports at dumped prices from the Mainland of China would likely lead to a recurrence of injury to the Union industry should the measures be allowed to lapse.

Review Procedures

3.Salient points of the expiry review are set out below-

(a) Date of Publication of the Notice of Initiation : 25 October 2013
(b) Product Coverage : Prepared or preserved mandarins (including tangerines and satsumas), clementines, wilkings and other similar citrus hybrids, not containing added spirit, whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter, and as defined under CN heading 2008, currently falling within CN codes 2008 30 55, 2008 30 75 and ex 2008 30 90.
(c) Procedures :
In view of the potentially large number of exporting producers in the Mainland of China involved in this expiry review and in order to complete the investigation within the statutory time limits, the Commission may apply sampling. To enable the Commission to decide whether sampling is necessary and, if so, to select a sample, all exporting producers, or representatives acting on their behalf, including the ones who did not cooperate in the investigation leading to the measures subject to the present review, are requested to provide information requested in Annex A to the notice, including their identities and contact details, turnover and sales volume, activities of their companies/related companies, and indication of agreement to their possible inclusion in the sample which will involve completing a questionnaire and accepting a visit at their premises in order to verify their responses. Such information should reach the Commission within 15 days from 25 October 2013, unless otherwise specified.

All interested parties wishing to submit any other relevant information regarding the selection of the sample must do so within 21 days from 25 October 2013, unless otherwise specified

If a sample is necessary, the exporting producers may be selected based on the largest representative volume of production, sales or exports to the Union which can reasonably be investigated within the time available. All known exporting producers, the authorities of, inter alia, the Mainland of China, and associations of exporting producers will be notified of the companies selected to be in the sample.  All exporting producers selected to be in the sample and any known association of exporting producers will have to submit a completed questionnaire within 37 days from the date of notification of the sample selection, unless otherwise specified. Companies that have agreed to their possible inclusion in the sample but are not selected to be in the sample will be considered to be cooperating ('non-sampled cooperating exporting producers').

In the previous investigation, the prices actually paid or payable in the Union for the like product were used for the purpose of establishing normal value in respect of the Mainland of China.  For the purpose of the current investigation, the Commission envisages using Turkey as a market economy third country for determining the normal value.  Interested parties are invited to comment on the appropriateness of this choice within 10 days from 25 October 2013.

Subject to the provisions of the notice, all interested parties are invited to make their views known, submit information and provide supporting evidence to the Commission within 37 days from 25 October 2013, unless otherwise specified.

All interested parties may request to be heard by the Commission investigation services.  Any request to be heard must be made in writing and must specify the reasons for the request.  For hearings on issues pertaining to the initial stage of the investigation, the request must be submitted within 15 days from 25 October 2013.  Thereafter, a request to be heard must be submitted within the specific deadlines set by the Commission in its communication with the parties.

Interested parties are required to make all submissions and requests in electronic format (non-confidential submissions via e-mail, confidential ones on CD-R/DVD), and must indicate their name, address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers. However, any powers of attorney, signed certifications, and any updates thereof, accompanying questionnaire replies must be submitted on paper, i.e. by post or by hand, at the address below.  If an interested party cannot provide its submissions and requests in electronic format, it must immediately contact the Commission. For further information concerning correspondence with the Commission, interested parties may consult the relevant web page on the website of the Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade):
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/tackling-unfair-trade/trade-defence.
 

Commission address for correspondence:

European Commission
Directorate-General for Trade
Directorate H
Office: N105 08/020
1049 Brussels
Belgium

Fax +32 2299 0205

E-mail for dumping issues and Annex A to the notice:
trade-satsumas-dumping@ec.europa.eu

E-mail for other issues and Annex B to the notice:
trade-satsumas-injury@ec.europa.eu

Interested parties may request the intervention of the Hearing Officer for DG Trade, who acts as an interface between the interested parties and the Commission investigation services through reviewing requests for access to the file, disputes regarding the confidentiality of documents, requests for extension of time limits and requests by third parties to be heard.  The Hearing Officer may organise a hearing with an individual interested party and mediate to ensure that the interested parties' rights of defence are being fully exercised.  A request for a hearing with the Hearing Officer should be made in writing and should specify the reasons for the request.  For hearings on issues pertaining to the initial stage of the investigation the request must be submitted within 15 days from 25 October 2013.  For further information and contact details, interested parties may consult the Hearing Officer's web pages on DG Trade's website.
(d) Investigation Schedule : The investigation will be concluded within 15 months from 25 October 2013.

BACKGROUND

4.Definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain prepared or preserved citrus fruits (namely mandarins, etc.) originating in the Mainland of China was initially imposed from 31 December 2008. The current applicable amount of duty is EUR 531.2 per tonne, except for a number of companies whose applicable amounts of duty ranging from EUR 361.4 to EUR 531.2 per tonne. For further background information, please refer to Commercial Information Circulars Nos. 166/2013 of 22 February 2013 and 262/2013 of 3 April 2013.

ENQUIRIES

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

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Stella CHAN)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

*The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, 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.



Note 1: 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.
Note 2: The biweekly newsletter "Business Alert - EU" of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council provides up-to-date information on the latest developments in EU trade policy and trade regulations. The newsletter is available for free e-subscription and can be accessed through
http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/eualert.htm.