published_or_final_version / abstract / Law / Master / Doctor of Legal Studies

Master of Arts / Department of Economics / Peri da Silva / This paper examines temporary trade barrier (TTB) implementation by 13 Latin American economies on a bilateral basis from 2000-2009 considering market power and import shocks. Additionally, we augment our analysis by including the effect of the presence or absence of tariff water on TTB implementation. We find evidence that market power and tariff water play an integral role in TTB implementation while import shocks do not. Using a probit model we estimate that a one standard deviation increase in market power and the absence of tariff water indicator increase the probability that a country imposes an antidumping tariff by 71 and 20 percent respectively, evaluated at their means. Interestingly, we do not find that import shocks have a significant impact on TTB implementation.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Law / The research is divided in seven sections where the problem of the interpretation and applicability of Art XXIII GATT to the Laws and Practices under the Anti-Dumping Agreement is examined. Chapter I identifies the problems, raises the research question and gives an overview of the current state of the matters under observation. In Chapter II the general theory of interpretation is studied and subsequently applied to Art XXIII specifically, taking into account the meaning, scope, historical evolution and current interpretations of Art XXIII. Chapter III revises the theory of coherent interpretation of Art XXIII in connection with the Anti-Dumping Agreement specifically. The constitutional structure and principles of the WTO are questioned, dissected and supported to decant a handful of fundamental principles which shall inform the rest of the interpretation applied in the research. This chapter takes the interpretation from an abstract perspective to a material view of a coherent interpretation of both Art. XXIII and the Anti-Dumping Agreement. Chapter IV revises the facts, laws and practices of Anti-Dumping being used as a protectionist measure in disguise both using procedural and substantial arguments which are illustrated in the laws and practices of seven countries. The findings in Chapter IV lead to Chapter V which questions the legitimacy and validity of considering the possible applicability of Art XXIII to the anti-Dumping Agreement as it is currently implemented by the WTO membership. Those reflections lead to the consideration and mention of Competition as a public good in international trade in Chapter VI, which is a key element for the final findings of this research. The conclusion of this research is inclined to suggest that in order to keep the legal system of the WTO functional, a stronger economic constitutional approach that allows for the application of art XXIII in situations subversive to the principles of free trade is necessary. The adaptation of a theory of an economic constitution is proposed.

O objetivo deste trabalho é indicar a importância da consideração do interesse público nas investigações antidumping, análise que não pode ser feita sem a definição prévia de critérios a serem utilizados por todos os Membros da OMC, evitando, assim, uma aplicação discriminatória. Se a definição do interesse público pretende ser obrigatória, como parece ser o resultado buscado pelos Membros da OMC no estado atual das negociações, é fundamental que sejam definidos parâmetros claros, que devem ser seguidos por todos os Membros. Caso contrário, a busca do interesse público pode aumentar, ainda mais, a insegurança e a imprevisibilidade que circundam as investigações antidumping, desmotivando partes interessadas a contribuir para a busca da verdade e da melhor solução para o contexto interno de cada país. / L´objet de ce travail est d´indiquer l´importance de la compréhension de l´intérêt public dans les enquêtes antidumping, une analyse qui ne saurait pas être faite sans une définition préalable des critères à être utilisés par tous les Membres de l´OMC, évitant ainsi une application discriminatoire. Au cas où la définition de l´intérêt devient obligatoire, ce qui s´applique au résultat recherché par les Membres de l´OMC selon la situation actuelle des négociations, il est fondamental de définir des parâmètres claires et uniformes, devant être suivis par tous les Membres. Au contraire, la recherche de l´intérêt public peut s´accroître, ainsi que l´insécurité et l´imprévisibilité qui entourent les enquêtes antidumping démotivant les parties intéressées à contribuer à la recherche de la vérité, ainsi que de la meilleure solution pour le contexte interne de chaque pays.

This thesis takes a corporate political strategy perspective of antidumping and countervailing duty cases to understand why some firms are more successful at the prosecution of these trade remedy measures. Trade remedy measures are long standing tools of US trade policy and their use has continued to grow globally amongst member countries of the World Trade Organisation. Between 1980 and 2007 a total of 1606 of these trade remedy cases were investigated by the Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission, an average of 41 antidumping and 17 countervailing duty cases a year, with a value of around US$ 63 billion or 0.3% of all US imports. Thirty-seven percent of the cases by number and 54% by value resulted in duties being imposed on the subject imports. This study uses archival material for five recent trade remedy investigations and forty-five semistructured interviews with business interests, trade attorneys and economic consultants that have experience of prosecuting these cases to understand why some firms may be more successful than others at achieving their preferred policy outcome. The imposition of duties is found to be only the simplest measure of success for US firms that file a case and does not capture the range of potential outcomes for foreign firms that face the duties. Successful prosecution of a trade case has been found to be firm specific, as the DOC determination of individual firm duty rates significantly affects what the outcome of case means for each firm in the US and foreign industries. The successful prosecution of US trade remedy cases is argued to be an informational corporate political strategy that is affected by statutory and administrative biases in the execution of the agency investigations, and creates the potential for indirect rent-seeking bias in the outcomes of cases. This informational corporate political strategy is based on three capabilities that firms need to develop, the capability to gather information, the capability to build and shape the administrative record at the agencies to reflect a firm’s policy preferences and the capability to align business practices with the US trade remedy institutions. These three capabilities are enabled by the bundling of corporate political expertise resources, organisational resources, financial resources and reputational resources. Some of these resources are internal to the firms, including staff, money and information, while other resources are external, such as the trade attorneys and economic consultants.

Dumping, no sentido técnico-jurídico do termo, vem a ser, segundo definição encontrada no próprio Acordo Antidumping, da OMC Organização Mundial do Comércio (artigo VI, GATT 1994), a exportação de um produto por valor inferior ao preço que ele normalmente seria vendido no mercado exportador. Como se pode vislumbrar a partir desta definição, é uma prática que ocorre em razão de uma operação de comércio internacional. O processo de investigação do dumping, que poderá resultar na adoção de direitos antidumping, normalmente é complexo, sendo um dos mais instigantes e atuais temas relacionados ao direito econômico internacional e ao direito do comércio internacional. A aplicação de direitos antidumping, ao mesmo tempo que deve buscar a anulação dos efeitos danosos causados pela prática do dumping, deve ser utilizada de forma comedida pelo país lesado, ou seja, não podem tais direitos significar uma barreira injusta ao livre comércio, sob pena de restar violado e desvirtuado um dos principais fins do sistema OMC, qual seja, a busca de um comércio internacional livre, isto é, isento de quaisquer espécies de barreiras, sejam elas tarifárias, ou não tarifárias. Por derradeiro, cabe dizer ainda, que esta dissertação de Mestrado será dividida em duas partes: a primeira, na qual se abordará os principais aspectos relacionados ao dumping e aos direitos antidumping; e, a segunda, onde será analisado o caso WT/DS141/R Comunidades Européias vs. Índia Direitos antidumping sobre importações de roupa de cama. / Dumping, in its technical-judicial meaning, is the exportation of a product at a price lower than the one at which it usually would be sold in the exporting market, as defined by the WTO World Trade Organization Anti-Dumping Agreement itself (Article VI, GATT 1994). As we can see, based on this definition, dumping is a practice that necessarily occurs as the result of an international trade operation. The dumping investigation process, which may lead to anti-dumping duties, is often complex, and it is one of the most provocative and present subjects related to the International Economic Law and to the International Trade Law. The application of anti-dumping duties, while one must seek to nullify the damaging effects caused by dumping imports, on the other hand, one can not forget that the anti-dumping duties must be reasonably utilized by the injured country, that means, such duties can not lead to an unfair barrier to the free trade, otherwise one the WTO systems main goals, which is the search for free international trade exempt from any kind of barrier, be they tariff or non-tariff barriers, may be violated and disparaged. Finally, this thesis for the Master Degree at USP, will be divided in two parts: the first one will discuss the main aspects of dumping and the anti-dumping duties; and the second one, where the author will analyse, in a deep approach, a specific case decided in the scope of the dispute settlement body (DSB), where the occurrence of dumping and the application of anti-dumping duties was discussed (WT/DS141/R European Communities vs Índia cotton-type bed linen).

The application of anti-dumping and countervailing measures has always been controversial, particularly, as they do not address the issue of the level of local value added in the production process. Are these measures simply industry assistance measures under another guise, or are they to protect the 'fair trade' framework to further the opportunity for free trade? All the indications are that these measures reflect the former option. However, the global political climate as represented through the GATT and now the WTO Agreements is to tolerate the imposition of both anti-dumping and countervailing measures provided they are applied according to the provisions of the Agreements. It is becoming increasingly more difficult for any nation state to abolish the right of their 'guest' industries to obtain anti-dumping or countervailing relief, given the economic power of multinational industries operating within their boundaries. The practical issue is for each nation state to use these measures in a way which is of least detriment to their economy. Gruen in 1986 reviewed the application of the then Customs Tariff (Anti-Dumping) Act 1975, and found that there needed to be a tightening-up of the injury test applied to anti-dumping cases. It is recommended that Gruen's tougher injury standards be implemented forthwith. He also recommended a continuing role for the Industry Commission as the appeal body for a review of the facts, and for there to be a continuing assessment of the effects of the measures imposed. The government, however, created an Anti-Dumping Authority attached to the then Department of Industry Technology and Commerce (DITAC), whose member and officers came from that department. The principal function of this body was to review the preliminary decisions of Customs, and to recommend the imposition of duties or acceptance of an undertaking to the Minister. There was no provision for an independent review of facts. One of the results of the increased complexity of the existing process and consequently the law, is a large increase in litigation before the Federal Court. There is a need to simplify the administrative structure and the provisions of the domestic law. The latter should be accomplished by the incorporation of the provisions of the WTO Agreements directly into domestic law. The espoused policy objectives of the government have not been met. The application of anti-dumping and countervailing measures favour import competing industries, and are against countries from which imports are growing. Korea and China have been singled out, with these countries showing the highest incidence of import weighted of anti-dumping measures. They also happen to be countries with which Australia has a trade surplus, a policy factor which is neglected by the administering authorities. There is a need to redress this imbalance. Predation identified by the government as a reason for taking anti-dumping action, has been shown not to be a reason for the application of anti-dumping duties in Australia. As a small country, Australia should take advantage of the use of the WTO dispute settlement process in settling anti-dumping and countervailing disputes. Consultations should commence at the earliest possible stage in inquiries, with the view to the settlement of the dispute by trade negotiation so that the outcome can be beneficial to both parties. This may, for example, allow for the specialisation in production between the two Members. WTO dispute settlement is seen as a positive approach to dispute settlement, whereas the use of the domestic courts tends to elevate the dispute between the parties. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade needs to take a leadership role in settling all anti-dumping and countervailing actions through the WTO dispute settlement process, with a view to a positive outcome for both Members. Placing an anti-dumping import tax on intermediate products entering Australia is counter-productive, as it increases the cost of inputs to downstream users. Temporary relief should be given by way of production subsidy, if the matter cannot be resolved through WTO trade consultations.

在貿易國際化、自由化的時代潮流中，台灣地區已逐步地對外開放國內市場。惟為了避免貿易自由化帶來負面影響，並確保產業在國內市場的權益，我國亦已建立了一套貿易救濟制度。此一制度不僅是對外貨藉由不公平貿易措施（傾銷、補貼）進入我國市場的一種反制，及對於公平貿易採取進口救濟之防衛措施，同時更是完備國內貿易法令、健全貿易環境所不可或缺的。我國反傾銷法規之立法，特別是關稅法第四十六條之一、第四十六條之二，貿易法第十九條（八十二年二月五日），平衡稅及傾銷稅課徵實施辦法（八十三年十一月十七日），使我國反傾銷法所規範之損害要件與國際規範相同，但此一國內規範仍有諸多待澄清之處。一．損害範圍：相同產品（關稅法）與競爭產品（貿易法）之爭議；二．損害對象：國內產業（關稅法）與競爭產業（貿易法）之爭議；三．損害程度：實質損害（貿易法）與重大損害（關稅法）之爭議；四．因果關係：傾銷效果（課徵辦法）與傾銷進口（貿易法）之爭議。 　　對於上述爭議點，頗有必要依據ＷＴＯ反傾銷協定之規範，修正相關法規，以避免不必要之疑義，且於損害認定調查時，不致於偏離問題之要點。

The application of anti-dumping and countervailing measures has always been controversial, particularly, as they do not address the issue of the level of local value added in the production process. Are these measures simply industry assistance measures under another guise, or are they to protect the 'fair trade' framework to further the opportunity for free trade? All the indications are that these measures reflect the former option. However, the global political climate as represented through the GATT and now the WTO Agreements is to tolerate the imposition of both anti-dumping and countervailing measures provided they are applied according to the provisions of the Agreements. It is becoming increasingly more difficult for any nation state to abolish the right of their 'guest' industries to obtain anti-dumping or countervailing relief, given the economic power of multinational industries operating within their boundaries. The practical issue is for each nation state to use these measures in a way which is of least detriment to their economy. Gruen in 1986 reviewed the application of the then Customs Tariff (Anti-Dumping) Act 1975, and found that there needed to be a tightening-up of the injury test applied to anti-dumping cases. It is recommended that Gruen's tougher injury standards be implemented forthwith. He also recommended a continuing role for the Industry Commission as the appeal body for a review of the facts, and for there to be a continuing assessment of the effects of the measures imposed. The government, however, created an Anti-Dumping Authority attached to the then Department of Industry Technology and Commerce (DITAC), whose member and officers came from that department. The principal function of this body was to review the preliminary decisions of Customs, and to recommend the imposition of duties or acceptance of an undertaking to the Minister. There was no provision for an independent review of facts. One of the results of the increased complexity of the existing process and consequently the law, is a large increase in litigation before the Federal Court. There is a need to simplify the administrative structure and the provisions of the domestic law. The latter should be accomplished by the incorporation of the provisions of the WTO Agreements directly into domestic law. The espoused policy objectives of the government have not been met. The application of anti-dumping and countervailing measures favour import competing industries, and are against countries from which imports are growing. Korea and China have been singled out, with these countries showing the highest incidence of import weighted of anti-dumping measures. They also happen to be countries with which Australia has a trade surplus, a policy factor which is neglected by the administering authorities. There is a need to redress this imbalance. Predation identified by the government as a reason for taking anti-dumping action, has been shown not to be a reason for the application of anti-dumping duties in Australia. As a small country, Australia should take advantage of the use of the WTO dispute settlement process in settling anti-dumping and countervailing disputes. Consultations should commence at the earliest possible stage in inquiries, with the view to the settlement of the dispute by trade negotiation so that the outcome can be beneficial to both parties. This may, for example, allow for the specialisation in production between the two Members. WTO dispute settlement is seen as a positive approach to dispute settlement, whereas the use of the domestic courts tends to elevate the dispute between the parties. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade needs to take a leadership role in settling all anti-dumping and countervailing actions through the WTO dispute settlement process, with a view to a positive outcome for both Members. Placing an anti-dumping import tax on intermediate products entering Australia is counter-productive, as it increases the cost of inputs to downstream users. Temporary relief should be given by way of production subsidy, if the matter cannot be resolved through WTO trade consultations.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.