GENEVA (Reuters) - The number of anti-dumping investigations -- probes into unfairly priced imports -- notified to the World Trade Organisation fell in the first half of this year, the WTO said on Monday.

The figures indicate an easing of protectionist tensions as economies picked up in many countries and fly in the face of warnings protectionist pressures are threatening the recovery.

WTO rules allow members to impose extra duties on imports that are dumped -- sold for less than they cost at home -- if they hurt businesses in the importing country.

New investigations into suspected cases are an important barometer of trade tensions and pressures on authorities to protect businesses from competing imports.

Between January and June this year, 19 WTO members reported initiating 69 new investigations, compared with 97 investigations by 18 members in the same period of 2009, the WTO said in a statement.

A total of 14 members actually applied 59 new anti-dumping measures in the first half of 2010 as a result of earlier investigations, down from 62 new measures applied by 16 members a year earlier.

India was again the most active country launching new anti-dumping probes, with 17 in the first half of this year, followed by the European Union with 8.

The United States, for all its insistence on enforcing trade agreements, initiated only 2 investigations.

China -- the world's biggest exporter -- was again the main target of the investigations, facing 23 new probes, down from 33 new investigations a year earlier.

The European Union was the next most investigated, with 11 probes, followed by the United States with 5.

The base metals sector attracted most new investigations, with 20 probes, followed by chemicals with 11.

Mon, Dec 6 2010

Reporting by Jonathan Lynn

Source: reuters.com