Workers processing quicklime lumps in Vietnamese factory. Currently Viet Nam has been ruled as a non-dumping exporter of quicklime to the Australian market by the ADC — Photo limevietnam.com

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The Australian Anti Dumping Commission (ADC) recommended terminating an investigation into dumping of quicklime from Viet Nam, Malaysia and Thailand this month.

In April this year, the ADC began investigating quicklime products imported from Viet Nam after Australian company Cockburn Cement Limited (Cockburn Cement) claimed that the Australian quicklime industry had been injured by the imports.

However, the ADC found that while certain exports of quicklime from Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam were dumped, any injury to the Australian industry was negligible.

The ADC also found that the average selling prices of imported quicklime from Thailand and Viet Nam were above the unsuppressed selling price proposed by Cockburn Cement, considering factors like reduction of market share, profits and profitability, employment, capacity utilisation and actual price suppression.

During the investigation, the dumped imports from Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam represented less than 5 per cent of the Australian quicklime market; while Cockburn cement recorded a 28 per cent increase in sales volume from 2014 to 2015, with another rise expected for the first two quarters of 2016.

Cockburn Cement is the only manufacturer of quicklime in the Western Australian market, while the dumped imports are imported within Western Australia only. The company claimed that its sales were impacted by imports from Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The ADC also considered differences in chemical quality of quicklime and the competitive nature of the market as possible causes of injury to Australian manufacturers.

During the inquiry period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015, quicklime products were imported duty free into the Australian market.

The final recommendation to the parliamentary secretary must be issued no later than November 24, 2016, while the parliamentary secretary's decision is expected within 30 days of receiving the recommendation.

Quicklime is largely used in Australia in mineral processing, such as alumina, gold and steel. — VNS