Taiwan confirms Vietnamese cement dumping; further probe underway

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) The Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Wednesday released the final findings of its anti-dumping investigation into imported Portland cement and clinker from Vietnam, confirming that Vietnamese firms had engaged in dumping.

The ministry is expected to decide whether to impose anti-dumping duties on these imports by late July at the earliest, pending a further investigation by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to determine whether the dumping has caused substantial harm to Taiwan's industries, the MOF said in a statement.

The investigation was launched in August last year after the Taiwan Cement Industry Association applied for anti-dumping duties on the imports, citing suspected dumping and harm to domestic industries.

The MOF released its preliminary findings on Feb. 10, confirming that the products were being dumped. However, it decided not to impose a provisional anti-dumping duty, as the MOEA's investigation concluded that, although the dumping posed a threat of material injury to domestic producers, there was insufficient evidence of material damage.

With its final findings now released, the MOF will request the MOEA to complete its investigation into the Vietnamese imports to determine whether they pose a threat to domestic industries and Taiwan's overall economy, before making a final decision on imposing anti-dumping duties.

According to Taiwan's regulations, the MOEA must make a final determination within 40 days of receiving notification from the MOF, which, in turn, must submit the case to a tariff rate review panel within 10 days of receiving the MOEA's decision, for deliberation on whether to impose the anti-dumping duty.

Six Vietnamese companies are currently accused of dumping Portland cement and clinker into Taiwan at margins ranging from 13.59 percent to 23.2 percent.