RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/AHG/W/24
1October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4123)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
AdHocGroup onImplementation
TIMELINE, CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, AND LESSER
DUTY RULE (PARAGRAPH 3OFWTO/AIR/643)
Information Provided byIsrael
Thefollowing communication, dated 26August 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofIsrael.
_______________
A. Timeline ofEvents inIsrael'sAnti-Dumping Procedure
Thefollowing isabriefoutline describing thevarious events according toIsrael'scurrent anti-
dumping legislation. Ashasbeenpointed outinvarious documents submitted totheA-DCommittee,
Israel isinthemidst ofamending itscurrent legislation inorder tobring itintoconformity withthe
A-DAgreements andthetimelimits asdescribed below willbeamended accordingly. Itshould be
noted thatinpractice nodirect inconsistencies existbetween thetimelimits setforthintheAgreement
andthose inthepresent legislation.
Initiation
Within 21days(amaximum 30-day extension isavailable) upon receipt ofacomplaint the
Commissioner shalldecide whether toinitiate aninvestigation.
Questionnaires
Upon initiation ofaninvestigation, theinterested parties aresentquestionnaires andgiven at
least30daystorespond (extensions of30daysmaybegranted).
Preliminary Determination
Atemporary measure maybetaken intheform ofasecurity (bond) iftheCommissioner
determines thatthereisprima facieevidence ofdumping, injury andacausal linkbetween them. The
present lawdoesnotspecifically stateatimeperiod within which thisdecision maybemade. Inpractice
theauthorities follow theprovisions ofArticle 7.1oftheA-DAgreement andthispreliminary decision
ismade notlessthan60daysfrom theinitiation oftheinvestigation.
Commissioner 'sFindings -Disclosure ofEssential Facts
21daysafterthecompletion oftheinvestigation theCommissioner 'sfindings aresubmitted
totheAdvisory Committee, which holds ahearing afterreceiving theCommissioner 'sfindings. AG/ADP/AHG/W/24
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fullnon-confidential copy ofthefindings issenttotheinterested parties totheproceedings, which
contains athorough analysis ofthefactsandarguments raised bytheparties during theinvestigation.
Hearing before Advisory Committee
Theinterested parties totheinvestigation areinvited topresent theircaseandtodefend their
interests before theAdvisory Committee.
Advisory Committee 'sRecommendation
Therecommendation must besubmitted totheMinister nolaterthan60daysfrom thedate
onwhich thecomplaint wasbrought before theCommittee (or45daysfrom thedatethatadditional
material wassubmitted totheCommittee).
Final Decision byMinister
TheMinistermustdecidewhethertoadopttherecommendationsoftheCommitteewithin30days
upon theirreceipt.
Published Order
TheOrder afterbeing signed bytheMinister ispublished intheOfficial Gazette.
B. AListofInformation theAuthorities Believe tobeConfidential byNature
Section 8oftheTrade Levies Law-1991setsforththegeneral principle thatinformation will
beconsidered confidential ifitsdisclosure would cause injury tothesupplier oftheinformation or
toathirdparty.
Itshould benoted thatsinceinnumerous instances because ofthesmall scalesizeoftheIsraeli
economy, thecomplainant isthesolemanufacturer ofcertain products, therefore disclosure ofcertain
information would necessarily mean thedivulging ofsecret business information.
Needless tosaythatconfidentiality isdetermined onacasebycasebasis according tothe
particular circumstances involved.
Inpractice theauthorities usually consider thefollowing typeofinformation byitsnature,
confidential:
(i) Unpublished prices
(ii) Costs
(iii) Market shares ofindividual firms
(iv) Internal structure (No.ofemployees)
(v) Profit levels
(vi) Other similar information deemed torelate tobusiness secrets
Theauthoritiesrequirethatthepartiessupplyanon-confidentialversionofallmaterialsubmitted,
sothatthetextappears infullexcept intheplaceoftheconfidential information, appear empty brackets.G/ADP/AHG/W/24
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C. TheFollowing isaDescription ofHow theLesser Duty RuleisApplied bytheAuthorities
Thelesser dutyrulewhen applied bytheauthorities means thattheanti-dumping dutyshall
notexceed themargin ofdumping andshould belessifsuchlesser amount would besufficient toremove
theinjury caused tothedomestic industry.
Itmustbestated thattheparticular applications ofthelesser dutyruleverymuch depends on
theparticularcircumstancesofeachcase.Thereexistseveralprecedentsapplyingvaryingmethodologies
indetermining whatthenon-injurious price levelofthedomestic industry maybe.Inonecasethe
recommended dutywasapplied attherateoftheprice undercutting between theexport price andthe
price ofthedomestic industry. Inanother case, therecommended dutywasdetermined bytherate
ofthedifference between theexport price andthe"target price" forthedomestic industry which was
setatalevelwhich would cover theircosts ofproduction andprofit.