The city government of Shanghai has decided to implement a series
of measures to help local industry prepare for the expected growth
in the number of anti-dumping cases over the coming years.
The measures were initiated by the Shanghai Economic Commission, a
watchdog of local economic activity.
One highlight of the measures is the planned establishment of a
special fund, mainly financed by local industrial enterprises and
the city government. The fund is expected to provide financial
support for those enterprises faced with high costs in dealing with
anti-dumping cases, according to Tang Dengjie, the commission
director.
The city will also set up an industry damage investigation bureau
under the commission and corresponding subsidiary bodies, mainly at
corporate and industrial association levels, as a major task force
in the city's anti-dumping campaign.
Shanghai plans to initiate a city-level industry damage warning
system to track key sectors and commodities that are easily
affected by imports, said Tang, who attended an anti-dumping
working conference in the city Monday.
He
said: "We must realize not only the opportunities of China's entry
into the World Trade Organization - more importantly, we need to
face the accompanying tough challenges."
Tang was referring to the urgent need for Chinese enterprises to
sharpen their global competitiveness, improve their ability to
innovate, and learn the WTO rules as well as related international
practices, given the enterprises' increasing integration with the
global economic community.
Experts warned that it is high time for Chinese enterprises to
learn how to use WTO rules such as anti-dumping measures to protect
their own interests.
Despite a robust average annual growth rate of nearly 13 percent
over the past two decades in terms of export trade, Chinese
enterprises experienced more than 300 anti-dumping cases during the
1990s. The cases involved more than 4,000 types of commodities,
ranging from colour TVs to steel products.
Local Shanghai enterprises, such as Baosteel Corporation and
Shanghai Chemical Plant Company, were involved in 20 such
anti-dumping cases over the past five years, including six suits in
which local companies filed dumping charges against their foreign
counterparts.
Guan Weiyong, senior official of the Shanghai Economic Commission,
warned that enterprises must be more active and not merely hope to
win anti-dumping lawsuits brought against them.
(China
Daily July 16, 2002)