SALMON: ANTI-DUMPING AND ANTI-SUBSIDY
MEASURES (8721/03)
Letter from Ian Pearson MP, Minister for
Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade and
Industry/Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Chairman
After submission of EM 8721/03, The European
Scrutiny Committee asked to be kept informed about a UK request
for trade defence action against imports into the European Community
of farmed salmon from Norway, which threatened the livelihood
of salmon farmers in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Douglas
Alexander subsequently wrote on 1 March 2005[94]
to update both Committees on recent developments.
As you will recall, the European Commission
was conducting an anti-dumping investigation into imports of salmon
following Member State opposition to proposed safeguard measures.
I am pleased to be able to tell you that on
22 January 2006, the Council will adopt a Regulation imposing
anti-dumping measures on imports of farmed salmon. As you know
the DTI has a derogation to submit EMs on Council Regulations
imposing anti-dumping measures after their adoption and their
publication in the Official Journal. We will of course do so in
this case. However, in view of your Committee's request on this
issue, I considered it desirable to send you the latest information
as soon as it was available.
The Government has sought to defend indigenous
Scottish salmon farmers from dumped imports of farmed salmon originating
in Norway, with the aim of bringing stability to the market. The
UK supported the anti-dumping complaint submitted by the Scottish
(and Irish) salmon farmers and supported the Commission's proposal
to impose definitive anti-dumping measures first presented to
Member States shortly before Christmas. These measures impose
definitive anti-dumping measures on imports of farmed salmon from
Norway in the form of a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of €2.80
per kilo (whole fish equivalent) except for imports from one company,
whose dumping was found to be "de minimis". Under an
MIP, duty equivalent to the difference between the price at the
Community frontier and the MIP would be payable only if the market
price were to fall below the MIP.
This measure represents a small modification
of provisional anti-dumping duties imposed by Commission Regulation
in April 2005. Initially these took the form of ad valorem
duties ranging between 6.8% and 24.5% of the value of the
imported products. However, following further discussions with
EU processors and Norwegian exporters, and with the agreement
of the producers, the measures were amended in July 2005 to a
minimum import price ("MIP"). The MIP was set at a level
of €2.81 per kilo (whole fish equivalent) with higher MIPs
for different presentations eg salmon fillets. The Commission
at this time also proposed a three month extension of the provisional
measures until 22 January 2006.
Throughout this episode the Government has worked
closely with the Scottish Executive, as well as liaising with
Scottish producers and EU Salmon Producers Group (EUSPG) and consulting
user interests represented by the Food and Drinks Federation.
20 January 2006
94 Correspondence with Ministers, 4th Report of Session
2005-06, HL Paper 16, pp 232-233. Back
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