On June 15, 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 1578/QD-BCT on the application of definitive anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) measures on cane sugar originating from the Kingdom of Thailand (Thailand). Previously, based on the preliminary investigation results, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 477/QD-BCT dated February 9, 2021, applying provisional anti-dumping and countervailing measures on certain cane sugar products originating from Thailand.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade initiated the investigation on September 21, 2020, following the appraisal of the petition requesting the application of AD and CVD measures submitted by representatives of the domestic industry.
The investigation was conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in strict compliance with the regulations of the World Trade Organization, the Law on Foreign Trade Management, and related regulations. Based on information provided by the domestic industry, the Government of Thailand, and relevant parties, the Ministry of Industry and Trade carefully reviewed and evaluated the dumping and subsidization margins of Thai cane sugar products, the injury suffered by the domestic industry, and the socio-economic impacts, including effects on downstream processing industries and consumers.
The investigation results showed that cane sugar products imported from Thailand, including refined sugar and raw sugar, were subsidized and dumped at a rate of 47.64%. At the same time, the domestic cane sugar industry suffered substantial injury, reflected in indicators such as a sharp surge in the investigated imports, price suppression, and declines in output, capacity utilization, sales volume, market share, revenue, and profit. The primary reason for this situation was the steep rise in subsidized and dumped sugar imports from Thailand in 2020, reaching nearly 1.3 million tons, an increase of 330.4% compared to 2019.
After considering the socio-economic impacts pursuant to the Law on Foreign Trade Management, the current supply-demand situation, and the opinions of state management agencies, the Ministry of Industry and Trade decided to impose definitive AD and CVD duties of 47.64% on certain cane sugar products originating from Thailand. This duty imposition decision is valid for 5 years and subject to administrative reviews in accordance with the law.
In the coming period, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to monitor the impact of these AD and CVD measures, production performance, supply-demand dynamics, and prices, in order to roll out sugar market stabilization measures in line with regulations.
Source: Ministry of Industry and Trade issues Decision on applying definitive anti-dumping and countervailing measures on certain cane sugar products