asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will comment on the statement made by the chairman of a major Cork company (name supplied) on April 30th that the Government had failed to take any action to protect the Irish hosiery and knitwear industry against an unprecedented level of dumping in the current year by British, American, Dutch and Belgian firms and that employment is being affected by this development.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Hosiery and Knitwear Industry.
49.
Action to counteract dumping must be taken in accordance with the Imposition of Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1968. The Act provides for a special commission, An Coimisiún Dumpála, to investigate complaints of dumping, whenever the commission considers it probable that the goods in question have been or are being dumped and that the dumping caused or threatens to cause material injury to the Irish industry. The Act further provides that anti-dumping duties may be imposed by the Government if the commission, following an investigation of a complaint, so recommends.
Since the beginning of 1970, An Coimisiún Dumpála has received four complaints of dumping of hosiery and knitwear. All of these related to imports from the United Kingdom. The commission could not obtain sufficient evidence of injurious dumping to justify a formal investigation in the case of two of these complaints, one of which was from the company in question; the commission is pursuing its inquiries into the other two complaints.
If the firm in question has any further evidence or information that dumping is taking place by British, American, Dutch or Belgian firms, they should take the matter up with An Coimisiún Dumpála.