Ministry investigating three foreign products

Muscat: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in cooperation with the Technical Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is investigating three foreign products—tile products, cardboard and chemical plasticiser. They will release a final report on the findings of the investigation and their decision.
Badar bin Mubarak Al Hajri, an economic researcher at the Anti-Dumping Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said: "The Royal Decree No. 20/2015 of the unified anti-dumping law and countervailing and preventive measures of the GCC countries set forth the mechanisms and procedures of the measures of protection against the unfair competition policy practiced by foreign imports in the local and Gulf markets."
He pointed out that these measures are applied after fulfilling the requirements of the complaint as stipulated in the law. All the facts and evidence were verified, which prove the real damage caused to the local industry because of the policy of dumping, support and increase of imports.
He indicated that the investigation would take 12 months and in exceptional circumstances it could be extended for another six months.
Al Hajri added: "Since the Royal Decree came, many investigations began on the basis of complaints submitted by Gulf factories through the Office of the Technical Secretariat to combat harmful practices in international trade in cooperation with the MOCI and other member states in the GCC."
"Since 2016, the number of investigations into foreign products which were suspected to be involved in an unfair competition policy in the Gulf markets reached seven. They included an anti-dumping investigation against South Korean imports of the vehicle battery. It was completed with the charging of anti-dumping duties for five years," he added.
Preventive measures were also taken against the import of iron-coloured steel products from various countries of the world and preventive duties were imposed on them for three years, which was extendible, he said. Temporary duties were also imposed for six months against foreign imports of the ferrosilico manganese products.
However, in the final report, the issue was closed and protective duties were dropped, as it was found that there was no relationship between the foreign imports and the damages to the local industry.