Australia : Fair Play trade agency welcomed

The CFMEU has today welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement to establish an Anti-Dumping Commission and increase the number of investigations into imports of dumped forest products and building materials. 

“Australian industry and jobs have been suffering from the impact of dumped goods for too long,” said CFMEU National Secretary Michael O’Connor.

“This new agency should help level the playing field for locally produced goods through investigating and penalising dumpers.”

Improved compliance enforcement, resourcing and expertise are all features of the new Anti-Dumping Commission.

Michael O’Connor, the National Secretary of the CFMEU, is calling on employers to get behind the initiative and cooperate with unions to crack down on dumping. “After years of campaigning for action on dumping and abuse of trade rules it is great to see this result.

“There is a lot of evidence that Australian jobs are being lost due to the fact that other countries aren’t playing fair with trade rules. The Brumby Review established that dumping is likely to increase, and the new Anti-Dumping Commission is a welcome weapon in the fight for fairness.”

“Now the Government needs to remain vigilant on enforcing these new measures and respond swiftly to other short-term measures proposed by the Non-Government  Members of the Prime Minister’s Manufacturing Taskforce, which include better opportunities for Australian industry through procurement and ensuring the full, fair and reasonable access of Australian manufactured products in infrastructure and mining projects.”

The CFMEU has been actively campaigning with other manufacturing unions for the establishment of a dedicated anti-dumping Commission to monitor and enforce Australian industry’s trade rights.

“Many in the forestry products and building materials sector have been discouraged from taking action against dumping due to the costly nature of applications and their lack of success. 

Hopefully this will now change,” said Mr O’Connor.   

The CFMEU will continue to fight for better economic management and fair trade through its ‘Let’s spread it around’ campaign

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