Australia’s Antidumping Commission on June 8 announced that it has initiated an investigation following an application lodged by CSBP Ltd., Orica Australia Pty Ltd., and Queensland Nitrates Pty Ltd., manufacturers of ammonium nitrate in Australia. The application seeks the publication of a dumping duty notice in respect to ammonium nitrate exported to Australia from Chile, Lithuania, and Vietnam.
The Australian producers allege that the goods have been exported to Australia at prices less than their normal value, and that the dumping has caused material injury to the Australian industry through price suppression and loss of profits and reduced profitability.
The goods subject to the investigation include ammonium nitrate, prilled, granular, or in other solid form, with or without additives or coatings, in packages exceeding 10 kg. The investigation period is April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.
Ironically, the three countries – Chile, Lithuania, and Vietnam – stepped up their exports to Australia after Australia placed antidumping duties against three other countries in 2018 – China, Sweden, and Thailand (GM Nov. 16, 2018).
According to the documents submitted by the Australian producers, the combined subject imports grew from 62 mt in 2016 to peak at 95,955 mt in 2020, before declining to 44,502 mt in 2021. By comparison, the cumulated total for China, Sweden, and Thailand peaked in 2018 at 122,022 mt and declined to 260 mt in 2021.
Interested parties may lodge submissions by close of business on July 15, 2022, and exporters are invited to complete an exporter questionnaire and associated spreadsheets.
The Antidumping Commission must make a statement of essential facts (SEF) by Sept. 26, 2022. Interested parties may lodge submissions in response to the SEF within 20 days of the SEF placed on the public record.
A Commission recommendation to the Ministry of Industry, Science, and Technology must be made on or before Nov. 10, 2022, and the Minster must make a declaration within 30 days after receiving the report.
In the meantime, another ammonium nitrate duty case is currently being reinvestigated. Last September, the Antidumping Review Panel requested that the Commission reinvestigate specific findings that formed the basis for the decision of the Minister for Industry, Science, and Technology to discontinue measures relating to exports of ammonium nitrate from Russia (GM Sept. 24, 2021). Australian duties have been in place on Russian AN since 2001.