Big business, supported by unions, has again called on the Federal Government to reform Australia’s anti-dumping laws in order to stop foreign companies ‘flooding the market with cheap goods’. A 21 April Sydney Morning Herald Business Day item headed ‘Industry fights to end dumping’ reported on a just completed round table conference that included local manufacturers, unions and politicians.

Among the companies represented was Kimberly-Clark Australia (KCA).

“In 2008 we filed an anti-dumping action along with one of our global competitors against competitors in Indonesia and China… here we are, three years after we filed the initial case,” stated KCA general manager Milo Foster.

“There’s no dispute that dumping has indeed taken place but our offshore competitors have had no penalties against them and they’re free to do as they wish,” he added.

The SMH report explains that ‘dumping’ occurs when heavily subsidised goods exported to Australia are sold for less than they cost to produce in their country of origin. Such goods threaten the viability of the manufacturing sector because domestic companies struggle to compete with the lower prices.
www.smh.com.au