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.