By CASEY NEILL
NEW measures to prevent dumping of cheap overseas goods in Australia could be a coup for local manufacturers.
This was the response from Dandenong South’s Advance Cables general manager David Jenkin after the Federal Government in December introduced measures to strengthen Australia’s anti-dumping system.
These include a new Anti-Dumping Commission to investigate complaints, an extra $24.4 million in funding to deal with cases in a speedy manner, and stricter penalties for overseas producers that deliberately circumvent anti-dumping rules.
Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus said dumping could have a significant impact on local manufacturing and about 12,000 local workers would benefit from the changes, designed to deliver fair competition on a genuinely level playing field.
“This uncompetitive behaviour places significant pressure on local businesses and undermines local jobs,” he said.
“Local manufacturers in the south east of Melbourne have had to deal with a high Australian dollar and intense global competition which have placed pressure on manufacturing.”
Mr Jenkin said the changes had the potential to help manufacturers.
“If investigated properly and the government is sincere in their efforts to assist and follow through on dumping, then this will be a real coup for the Australian manufacturers who have suffered for a long time,” he said.
“The government must use the full force of the rules and regulations of the WTO (World Trade Organisation) and pursue the countries that tend to get away with dumping.
“We need to take the same stance as America and Canada and look at all avenues of finding dumping rather than use the same methods of determining dumping, especially when they have scope within the regulations and policies to do so.”
Mr Jenkin said the other issue with dumped products was compliance with Australian and New Zealand standards.
“Who actually polices this?” he said.
“I don’t think anybody really does, and when we alert them to any non-compliance, the regulatory bodies are too slow and ineffective in their actions.”
Mr Jenkin said home handyman stores were rife with imported products for ‘mum and dad’ home renovators.
“If they buy an inferior product and install it themselves … then it fails, the potential for loss of lives through fire is extreme,” he said.
