A Ministry of Economic Affairs probe into anti-dumping charges against cement and cement clinker imports from China found the Chinese products “had a substantial impact on Taiwan’s cement industry.”
The Chinese imports involve Portland cement type I, type II and its cement clinker, the International Trade Commission (ITC) said in a statement yesterday.
Portland cement type I is suitable for all uses in buildings and roads, while the type II cement is used for reservoirs, piers and heavy retaining walls. Clinker is used in making cement.
The commission said it would send its conclusions to the Ministry of Finance for review.
Under the Implementation Regulation on the Imposition of Countervailing and Antidumping Duties (平衡稅及反傾銷稅課徵實施辦法), the finance ministry should — within 10 days of receiving the ITC’s notice — submit the case to the Tariff Commission to determine whether to impose a countervailing duty or antidumping duty.
The ITC began its investigation in October last year, less than four months after Taiwan signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China.
The complaint was filed by the Taiwan Cement Products Association (台灣區水泥工業同業公會), which said cheaper Chinese imports had cost its members’ business.
In January, the ITC published a preliminary report, finding that dumping of Portland cement from China had damaged local cement producers, such as Taiwan Cement Corp (台灣水泥) and Asia Cement Corp (亞洲水泥).
Other Taiwanese makers that joined the anti-dumping complaint included Lucky Cement Co (幸福水泥), Southeast Cement Corp (東南水泥), Hsin Hsin Cement Enterprise Corp (欣欣水泥), Universal Cement Corp (環球水泥) and Hsing Ta Cement Co (信大水泥).
The ITC said the Chinese cement products had increased their market share from 12.6 percent in 2007 to 21.2 percent in 2009, then dropped to 19.4 percent last year and fell to 13.6 percent in the first quarter of this year — when the dumping probe was underway.
In May, the finance ministry said it planned to levy a provisional anti-dumping tax on Chinese cement imports of more than 95 percent.
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