The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) will announce on Thursday temporary anti-dumping measures against methylene chloride imports from Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, France, Germany and the Republic of Korea (ROK), sources at MOFTEC said in Being on Wednesday.

In accordance with China's regulations on anti-dumping and anti-subsidies, MOFTEC announced on December 20, 2000 that it had begun an anti-dumping investigation against methylene chloride imports from the above countries.

MOFTEC, along with China's General Administration of Customs (GAC), has made investigations on methylene chloride imported from those countries regarding dumping and its extent.

In addition, China's State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) has, along with relevant departments of the State Council, investigated the damage brought about by such commodities to domestic industries.

The preliminary ruling made by MOFTEC says that dumping does exist, and its extent lies between 7 percent and 75 percent. The preliminary ruling made by the SETC says dumping has resulted in substantial damage to relevant Chinese industries.

According to the above results and the 22nd article of China's regulations on anti-dumping and anti-subsidies, MOFTEC has decided that the Chinese Customs will implement temporary anti-dumping measures against imported methylene chloride, which is above 99 percent pure and listed under "2903.1200" in the GAC tariff.

Related importers, while importing methylene chloride from above-mentioned countries, shall submit a certain amount of guarantee cash to the Chinese Customs in line with the extent of dumping, as determined by the preliminary ruling of the Chinese authorities.

(China Daily 08/16/2001)