HÀ NỘI — The Anti-Dumping Commission under the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science has initiated an investigation into dumping and countervailing duty on aluminium extrusions exported to Australia from Việt Nam and Malaysia.

The investigation follows an application lodged by Capral Limited, a manufacturer of aluminium extrusions in Australia.

The application alleges that the goods have been exported to Australia at prices less than their normal value and received countervailable subsidies from Việt Nam and Malaysia.

It said the dumping and subsidisation had caused material injury to the Australian aluminium extrusions industry in the form of price suppression, loss of profits, reduced profitability, reduced capital expenditure, reduced return on investment and increased closing stocks.

The investigation will examine exports in the period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 to determine whether dumping or subsidisation has occurred. Details of the Australian market from July 1, 2012 will be examined for injury analysis purposes.

Capral estimated dumping margins of Vietnamese products at 10.19 per cent while the subsidy margin for exports was negligible.

At present, the aluminium extrusions imported from Việt Nam and Malaysia were taxed a customs duty of 5 per cent.

The Việt Nam Competition Authority said this was the sixth lawsuit which included both anti-dumping and anti-countervailing for Vietnamese products exported to Australia since 2011. Previous products were PE bags, welded carbon-quality steel pipes, steel garment hangers, oil country tubular goods pipes and steel nails.

According to statistics from the Việt Nam General Department of Customs, Australia imported steel products worth more than US$10.5 million in the first six months of this year, marking an increase of 7.5 per cent compared with the same period last year. — VNS