RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/W/332
G/SCM/W/340
ORGANIZATION 2April 1996
(96-1206)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
QUESTIONS POSED BYCANADA CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION
PROVIDED BYBOLIVIA1OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLES 18.5AND 32.6OFTHE AGREEMENTS
Thefollowing communication, dated 29March 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofCanada.
_______________
With reference totheNotification ofLaws andRegulations byBolivia under Article 18.5of
theAgreement onImplementation ofArticle VIandArticle 32.6oftheSubsidies andCountervailing
MeasuresAgreementoftheGATT1994totheCommitteeonAnti-DumpingPracticesandtheCommittee
onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures, Canada would liketoaddress thefollowing items:
1. Article 13ofSupreme Decree 23308 provides thattheTechnical Secretariat isentrusted with
carryingoutinvestigationsofdumpingandsubsidycomplaints.Inthisregard,thebodieswhichcomprise
theTechnical Secretariat include technical representatives oftheassociations concerned. Article 2
ofBi-Ministerial Decision No.25191-9 of4February 1993further clarifies thedefinition ofTechnical
Secretariat bynoting thatitincludes "therelevant department oftheBolivian Confederation ofPrivate
Industry, representing theassociations concerned". Would itbeaccurate toconclude, therefore, that
thedomestic industry alleging dumping orsubsidization willplayanimportant roleintheinvestigation
ofitsowncomplaint?
2. While thedefinition of"complainant" inChapter II/Article 2ofBi-Ministerial Decision
No.25191-9 captures the25percentoftotaldomestic production industry support threshold (viathe
definition of"major proportion ofdomestic industry"), the50percentindustry support threshold in
Articles 5.4and11.4oftheWTO Anti-Dumping andSubsidies Agreements respectively, which must
alsobesatisfied before aninvestigation canbeinitiated, doesnotappear tobereflected inthetext
ofBolivia 'slawsandregulations. Please clarify.
3. Thedefinition of"retroactive duties" inChapter II/Article 2ofBi-Ministerial Decision
No.25191-9 allows forthecollection ofdefinitive anti-dumping orcountervailing duties onproducts
entered forconsumption within 90dayspriortotheimposition ofprovisional duties. Article 38allows
forthecollection ofprovisional duties nosooner than45working daysfrom thedateofdispatch of
questionnaires (which, according toArticle 11,isfivedaysfrom theMinisterial decision toinitiate
aninvestigation). Given these time-frames, would theBolivian authorities levyretroactive duties on
products entered forconsumption prior tothedateofinitiation oftheinvestigation?
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4. Chapter III/Article 11oftheBi-Ministerial Decision No.25191-9 requires thatdulycompleted
questionnaires bereturned within 20working daysfrom theirdateofdispatch whereas Article 6of
theWTO Anti-Dumping Agreement requires thatexporters andforeign producers begiven atleast
30daystoreply (counted from thedateofreceipt ofthequestionnaire, which isdeemed tobeone
weekfromthedateitwassenttotherespondent orappropriate diplomatic representative oftheexporting
Member). Please clarify.
5. Where normal value isdetermined onaconstructed costbasisunder Chapter V/Article 24(b)
ofBi-Ministerial Decision No.25191-9, willreasonable amounts foradministrative andselling costs,
profits andother costs bedetermined inaccordance withArticle 2.2.2 oftheWTO Anti-Dumping
Agreement?