Australian commission rejects canned-fruit dumping claims

It notes international trade law expert Rian Geldenhuys says he remains positive about the final outcome, despite affected parties still having time to submit supplementary information before the final recommendations next month. Geldenhuys said the Australian Productivity Commission found that the requirements for introducing provisional safeguard measures in terms of World Trade Organisation rules had not been met, according to the report. It notes Australia earlier this year announced that it wanted a total ban on all canned-fruit products produced abroad - a move that would have hit South Africa's fruit industry, which supplies 40% of the total processed fruit market in that country. Australian producer SPC Ardmona had asked for a duty of 45%, or a quota on imports that would have had a similar effect as the 45% duty. But evidence presented showed there had been a drop in imports in most instances and where there had been an increase, it was not significant, the report notes. It says the commission also found no causal link between the losses industry suffered and imports. Full Business Day report (subscription needed)