Ministry's committee ready to process dumping charges

JAKARTA (JP): The government's anti-dumping committee has begun to process dumping charges brought against foreign companies and has urged domestic companies to watch out for the future dumping of imported products.

Aidil Yusar, the Ministry of Trade and Industry's secretary- general, said yesterday that the number of dumping charges filed by domestic companies regarding imported products is small compared to the dumping charges lodged by foreign importers against Indonesian companies.

"As of Sept. 20, 72 domestic firms had been accused of dumping practices in 10 countries for 37 different products, compared to only nine Indonesian cases against imported products," Aidil said.

Daeng Nazier, a committee member responsible for dumping charges brought against foreign firms, said that Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo has issued a decree on the procedure for filing dumping charges.

Nazier said that the decree, issued earlier this month, is the only reference used by the committee to evaluate the validity of charges against foreign products.

He expects the decree to encourage domestic firms to report more foreign dumping practices, but added that only one of the nine charges filed has met the requirements of the decree.

"The charges in five cases have been rejected, while three others have yet to be processed," he said.

The foreign firms accused of dumping practices in Indonesia are based in Taiwan, China, South Korea, Russia, India, France and Australia. The products involved are polyester, hot rolled coils, wire rods and aluminum.

A committee member responsible for dumping charges against Indonesian firms, Sudar S.A., said that of the 37 cases against Indonesian companies, 12 have been cleared of anti-dumping charges, 16 will have to pay anti-dumping duties and nine are still under investigation overseas.

Sudar said that the 10 countries that have filed dumping charges against Indonesian companies include Australia (with 12 charges), the European Union (six charges), New Zealand (five charges), the Philippines (four charges), Canada (three charges), the United States (one charge) and Japan (one charge).

The Indonesian products involved are cotton and yarns, glass products, storage batteries, chemicals, food products, computer disks, bicycles, melamine wares, footwear, rubber tires, matches and lighters, stationery, aluminum sheets and mosquito coils.

Among the companies being charged are PT Tjiwi Kimia, PT Asahi Glass Indonesia, PT Bogasari Flour Mills of the Salim Group, PT Yuasa Battery Indonesia, PT Argo Pantes, PT Eratex Jaya, PT Sorini Corporation, PT Mulia Glass, PT Hadtex Indosyntec, PT Indorama, PT Polysindo and PT Multiraya Indah Abadi.

Sudar also confirmed that a team of foreign lawyers arrived here on Tuesday to investigate a dumping charge on melamine wares. (alo)