asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he proposes to take steps to prevent the dumping of fertiliser from Portugal into this country; and if this imported fertiliser is sold to farmers at a reduced rate.
84.
Written Answers. - Fertiliser Imports.
83.
andMr. C. Murphy asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in view of the unemployment and short-time employment in the fertiliser industry, he will ban immediately all importations of compound and straight fertilisers.
85.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will take immediate steps to ban the importation of dumped fertiliser from Portugal as it is having a detrimental effect on NET and its employees.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 84 and 85 together.
Prohibition of fertiliser imports from other countries which are members of the European Communities is not permitted under the obligations assumed on accession to the Communities. Any proposal to amend our import terms for third countries would have to be put before the Commission and the other member states. Consultation may be required and our proposal may not be accepted.
Unemployment and short-time employment in the Irish compound fertiliser manufacturing industry is not the result of imports but of a serious decline in demand on the home and export markets caused by various other factors including major increases in the cost of raw materials during the past 18 months. I am advised that the demand for compounds is expected to recover early next year.
I am satisfied that only in the case of calcium ammonium nitrate imported from Portugal, which is the subject of an investigation by An Coimisiún Dumpála, is there a danger of material injury to Irish industry. An Coimisiún Dumpála has made a recommendation to me that I should impose a provisional anti-dumping duty of £8 per metric tonne. I have accepted the recommendation and the duty is being imposed immediately.
On the basis of the information available to me it would appear that imported calcium ammonium nitrate is being sold to farmers at prices below those prevailing for this commodity prior to the date of importation.
86.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the position with regard to the common external tariff of the EEC in relation to the importation of fertiliser from countries outside the Community.
It is not clear to me what information the Deputy is seeking. The only information which I have in relation to the application of the common external tariff to imports of fertiliser from outside the Community is that set out in Chapter 31 of the tariff which is available in the Dáil Library as EEC Regulation No. 2658/74—published as Volume 17 No. D 295 of the Official Journal of the European Communities.