Kuala Lumpur, May 29: The Malaysian government has imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of newsprint originating in or exported from five countries including the United States. The move follows the completion of a preliminary investigation into allegations that newsprint from five countries -- the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Philippines and Korea -- were being dumped in Malaysia, affecting the local newsprint industry. The government had initiated an anti-dumping investigation on January 16, 2003, based on a petition filed by Malaysian newsprint industries SDN BHD (MNI), the ministry of international trade and industry said in a statement yesterday. It said the preliminary probe, undertaken under the Countervailing and Anti-dumping duties Act 1993, found that the imports of newsprint originating in or exported from the five countries were made at dumped prices with the dumping margin ranging between 7.91 per cent and 43.24 per cent. The provisional measure would be effective for not more than 120 days from the date the government gazette is released, it said.

The anti-dumping duty would be guaranteed by a security equal to the amount of the dumping margin determined through the preliminary investigation, the statement said.

Bureau Report