There is at present no European Commission proposal to impose a 100 per cent duty levy on imports of luggage, travel goods, briefcases and school bags originating in China. However, a European Commission investigation is currently under way into a complaint that these goods are being dumped on the Community market and thereby causing material injury to the Community industry. The complaint was lodged by the European Committee for Leather Goods Industries on behalf of seven of its national producer associations and notice of the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation into the matter was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 17 April last.
Under Council Regulation No. 384/96, the Commission is required to make a proposal to Council on whether or not to impose provisional anti-dumping measures within nine months of the publication of the notice of initiation of anti-dumping proceedings. In this case, a proposal is not expected for another five or six months. The Commission can only propose such measures if their investigation establishes that dumping has taken place, that injury has been caused to Community industry and that there is a causal link between the two. Another important consideration in such an investigation is Community interest which takes account of the impact of anti-dumping measures on consumers of the products in question.
Once the Commission makes its formal proposal, member states are asked for their views. It is at this point that my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise and Employment, examines the case bearing in mind the consequences that such measures would have on the Irish industry as a whole. Our considered opinion is communicated to the Commission via the anti-dumping advisory committee which meets in Brussels.
