1. Executive Summary
Introduction
1. A review of the anti-dumping duties that currently apply against imports of plasterboard from the Kingdom of Thailand (Thailand) was initiated by the Ministry of Economic Development (Ministry) on 26 September 2005. The duties under review have been in place, in various forms, since 1989.
2. The goods under review are described as:
Standard plasterboard of a nominal thickness from, but not including, 6 mm and up to, but not including, 12 mm, of any width or length.
3. This report considers the likelihood of a continuation or recurrence of dumping causing material injury, should anti-dumping duties be removed.
4. This report also considers whether "Superspand", a type of plasterboard that has not previously been considered as a subject good, is in fact covered by the above goods description. The Investigating Team proposed in the Interim Report that Superspand would be covered by the description of goods subject to duties, but following submissions, including one by the New Zealand industry that it does not consider that Superspand is covered by the description of subject goods, the Investigating Team has now excluded Superspand from the Review.
Dumping
5. Based on information submitted by SCT Co. Ltd (SCT), its exports were found to either not be dumped or have very small dumping margins over the period of review. 3 percent of exports by SGI/SCT were found to be dumped with the highest dumping margin being xxxx percent, expressed as a percentage of the export price.
6. Based on both information previously submitted by BPB Thai Gypsum Plc. Ltd (BPB) and information provided by SCT the Investigating Team has found that none of the exports by BPB, over the period of review, were dumped.
Injury
7. The domestic industry, Winstone Wallboards Limited, does not claim that it is currently suffering material injury and believes that the current duties have been effective in preventing material injury.
8. No evidence of any current material injury was found.
Likelihood of Recurrence of Dumping and Injury
9. The Investigating Team has found only very minimal dumping margins and no material injury to the domestic industry over the period of review. Accordingly, the Investigating Team has examined the likelihood of recurrence of dumping and material injury if anti-dumping duties were to be removed.
10. The Investigating Team has concluded, given the previous behaviour of market participants, statements made during the review and the high level of excess capacity that BPB has, that there is a likelihood of dumping recurring for exports by BPB if the anti-dumping duties were removed and that this is likely to cause material injury to the New Zealand industry.
11. The Investigating Team considers that the likelihood of dumping recurring does not exist in respect of exports by SCT to Elephant Plasterboard New Zealand Limited (Elephant). This finding takes into account, amongst other factors, submissions made following the Interim Report about the high levels of capacity of SCT's supplier and the previous behaviours of SCT and Elephant.
12. The Investigating Team notes that as it is recommended that anti-dumping duties will remain in place against standard plasterboard from Thailand any application for reassessment or review of the duties would be able to consider exports of SCT to Elephant.
Duties and Initiation of Reassessment
13. It is recommended that the Chief Executive of the Ministry initiate a reassessment at the same time that this review is completed. The duties section of this report is intended to constitute an interim reassessment report and interested parties have until 1 May 2006 to make submissions upon the proposed duties. All submissions must be accompanied by a non-confidential version at the same time in order to be taken into account in the Ministry's recommendations to the Minister, regarding the appropriate rates that the duties should be reassessed at.
14. The Ministry proposes to reduce the anti-dumping duty to a nil rate in respect of exports by SCT to Elephant given its assessment of the likelihood of a recurrence of dumping and associated material injury resulting from the exports from SCT.
15. It is proposed that the duties relating to all exports, other than from SCT to Elephant, be reassessed at various rates. Indicative levels that the Investigating Team considers the duties should be reassessed to are included in the duties section of this report.
Conclusions
16. This report concludes that:
- If duties are removed there is a likelihood of dumping recurring and that this would likely cause material injury to the New Zealand industry;
- Duties be reduced to a nil rate in respect of exports from SCT to Elephant; and
- Duties should be reassessed for all other exports, including those by BPB and by SCT to importers other than Elephant.
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