Anti-Dumping: Global Abuse of A Trade Policy Instrument

The increasing use of anti-dumping measures covering a wide range of sectors, both by developed and developing countries in recent years, indicates a policy substitution to protect domestic industries in the face of tariff reforms. While the developing countries are demanding special and different treatment to protect their interest against a possible misuse of this provision by their developed counterparts, many of them also rank among the major violators. In this scenario, a systemic review and subsequent modification/scrapping of the anti-dumping agreement is the need of the hour. Responding to this need, the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration (December 2005) has noted that negotiations on anti-dumping should, as appropriate, "clarify and improve the rules" in three major concern areas (determination of dumping, procedures and the level, scope and duration of adopted measures). The eight chapters in the current volume focus on the current scenario in select developed and developing countries, use of this provision in intra-developing country trade and analysis of anti-dumping cases lodged at the WTO dispute settlement body. The discussions in the volume significantly contribute to the ongoing debate and serve as an important input for current negotiations.