Australia
April 17, 2014

AUSVEG has welcomed the announcement made yesterday by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, The Hon Bob Baldwin MP, regarding the dumping of canned tomato products from Italy.

An investigation, completed by the Anti-Dumping Commission, has recommended that a dumping notice be published regarding a number of Italian tomato products which were found to have been dumped into the Australian market. Additionally to this, exporters of these types of products sent to Australia since 1 November 2013 may be forced to pay a dumping duty to the Australian Government.

“The Commission found that a range of Italian tomato products have been entering the Australian market at prices which are below the cost of production for these items, and the publication of this dumping notice acknowledges this and will hopefully help to prevent further injury to the Australian tomato and vegetable processing industry, which in the past three years has been beset by a spate of factory closures,” said AUSVEG Spokesperson Hugh Gurney.

AUSVEG is Australia’s leading horticulture body representing 9,000 vegetable and potato growers.

“AUSVEG is calling on the Federal Government to use the dumping duty collected from these Italian exporters employing questionable tactics to support Australian vegetable and tomato growers and processors who have been injured by this predatory pricing,” said Mr Gurney.
The investigation commenced on 10 July 2013 in response to an application lodged by Australian tomato processor SPC Ardmona, who suggested that their business had been injured through price suppression, reduced profitability and lower sales volume, as a result of the tomatoes being exported to Australia from Italy at margins which constituted dumping.

“Yesterday’s announcement vindicates the Australian industry which has been struggling to compete on a playing field which in no way could be considered level. The publication of this dumping notice will serve to discourage unscrupulous foreign exporters of vegetables from dumping product onto our shores and injuring our vegetable growers,” said Mr Gurney.

In 2012-13, Australia imported $52 million worth of prepared or preserved tomato products, with over $49 million worth of these originating in Italy.

“With 93 per cent of tomatoes imported into Australia originating in Italy, this announcement will serve to discourage those exporters who refuse to play by the rules,” said Mr Gurney.

“The last three years have been unfortunately punctuated by the closures of Australian tomato processing factories for Heinz and Rosella, so the local industry has already borne the brunt of dumped Italian product. It is hoped that this dumping notice will allow remaining processors in Australia, like Kagome and SPC Ardmona, to continue employing hundreds of workers and Australian vegetable growers,” said Mr Gurney.
 

Website: http://www.ausveg.com.au

Published: April 17, 2014