The International Trade and Industry Ministry is acting on a complaint that imports of newsprint originating in or exported from Belgium, Germany, Sweden and Britain to Malaysia were at a price much lower than in the domestic market of the alleged countries.

 

This recent development is causing material injury to the domes-tic industry that is producing the same products, according to the petition. 

 

The ministry said the petitioner claims it has suffered from the effects of dumping, including price undercutting, price depression, reduction in market share, reduction in domestic sales, reduction in cash flow, low productivity level, low production level, low capacity level, low return in investment and an inability to raise capital.

 

"The government has determined that there is sufficient evidence of dumping, injury and causal link," it said yesterday. 

 

In accordance with the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act 1993 and its related regulations, a preliminary determination will be made within 120 days from the date of initiation. 

 

"If the final determination is affirmative, the government may impose an anti-dumping duty based on the margin of dumping," it added.

 

The ministry has developed a set of questionnaires in |relation to the investigation and urged all interested parties (importers, foreign producers, exporters and associations) to request for the questionnaires no later than April 19.

 

Interested parties are also invited to make their views known in writing, in particular by replying to the questionnaires with supporting evidence to the Ministry on or before May 6.