EU Commission urges cotton dumping duties

EU Commission urges cotton dumping duties

BRUSSELS (Reuters): The European Union's executive body said
yesterday it proposed definitive anti-dumping duties averaging 12
percent on imports of unbleached cotton fabrics from five
countries, including Indonesia.

The controversial proposal to impose the duties on China,
Egypt, India, Indonesia and Pakistan was adopted without
discussion at the European Commission's weekly meeting, EU
officials said.

Turkey, target of existing anti-dumping duties, was spared
under the Commission's new proposal.

Indonesia and several countries have lodged a formal protest
against the EU's anti-dumping proposal.

Egypt's government and private businessmen have threatened to
cut their trade with some European countries if the European
Union (EU) imposes anti-dumping duties on Egyptian unbleached
cotton exports.

The proposal calls for definitive anti-dumping duties of 10.9
percent on unbleached cotton fabrics from China, 18.5 percent
from Egypt, 16.1 percent from India, 13.7 percent from Indonesia
and 11.1 percent from Pakistan.

The proposal is the latest skirmish in a battle over
unbleached cotton imports which has angered the exporting
countries and split the 15-nation EU.

EU ministers must decide by October 9 whether to approve the
sanctions. It is questionable whether the measure will win the
majority support required for it to take effect.