Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
27 August 2015
Media Statement
Competing interests balanced in changes to anti-dumping laws
Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Paul Goldsmith today announced that a test will be introduced into New
Zealand’s anti-dumping regime to better balance consumer interests with those of the manufacturers threatened by dumped
imports.
“We want to ensure that we have a competitive market where consumers get the best value for their money. These decisions
aim to strike a balance between encouraging competition, while protecting manufacturers from dumping,” Mr Goldsmith
says.
Goods are dumped if the export price to New Zealand is less than the price they are sold for in their own home market. A
duty or a financial penalty is imposed on those dumped products which harm New Zealand manufacturers or a local
industry.
“Before imposing at-the-border duties on ‘dumped’ products a consumer welfare test will now be added to the process,” Mr
Goldsmith says.
“The test will weigh the impact on manufacturers against the wider effects on industries and consumers.
“Earlier this year the Government went out for public consultation on the proposed changes to the regime. We also
considered the implementation of an automatic termination period (ATP) on anti-dumping duties.
“Over time, it became clear that an ATP provision could have negative effects on some industries. As a part of our
consultation process I met with representatives from the Hawkes Bay fruit growers industry, who expressed concern than
an ATP provision could pose undue risk to the future of the industry.
“Whenever the Government looks at complex areas of law, it is vital that the consultation process is objective,
thorough, and sincere. After taking into account feedback from the growers and further analysis from officials, the
Government has decided that there will not be an ATP provision included in these changes.
“The next step is to reflect these changes in the Dumping and Countervailing Duties Amendment Bill. It is my intention
to introduce this bill to Parliament later this year,” Mr Goldsmith says.
ends