End of Taiwan’s Anti-Dumping Duties; Will EU Makers Go for Renewal?

BRUSSELS, Belgium (October 21) - The anti-dumping duties on Taiwan made bicycles are due to be lifted on the 26th of February 2004. Currently all Taiwan producers are subject to anti-dumping duties. However, individual companies are obliged to pay different dumping duties rates. Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd has 2.4% duty, while Merida Industry Co. Ltd. and Ming Cycle Int. have 2.5%. 33 Taiwan bike makers are ordered to pay a 5.4% dumping duty levy. The list below names these 33 companies. Next to them the Fritz Jou Manufacturing Co. is subject to a 10.2% duty. All other Taiwanese bike makers which are not named here, fall into the category of producers that are subject to 18.2% dumping duty. The European bicycle makers have until November 26, 2003 to request for a renewal of the anti-dumping duties for Taiwan made bicycles. Bike Europe asked Accell Group CEO René Takens whether the European industry will do so. He answered: "At this moment I will not comment on this matter. But in case we will file this request, then it will be at the latest deadline which also means that the period during which the duties are applied is al long as possible." Asked if there's a relation between the filing of a request for renewal of the Taiwan dumping duties and the one for China that's up in 2004, Takens said: "We will regard every country individually in this matter. However, what I can say with regard to the renewal of the Taiwan dumping duties is that the opinions inside the European industry are divided. But you have to wait to November 26 to get a clear statement about the position of the European industry in this matter." The EU fifteen member states imported 2,075,000 bicycles from Taiwan in 2002; up 17.2% on the 1,770.000 imported in 2001. According to Eurostat, the average value of a Taiwan made bicycle imported into the EU in 2002 was € 109.93; down 20.9% to the € 139 average value in 2001. The following list consists of companies ordered to pay 5,4% dumping duty: Acetrikes Industrial Co., Ltd., Changhua; Asahi Enterprises Corporation, Tainan; Axman Enterprise Co., Ltd., Taichung; Century Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Taichung; Dahon Inc., Taipei; Dodsun Bicycle & Machinery Manufacturers, Tao Yuan; Fairly Bike Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Taipei; Formosan I Shin Enterprise Ltd., Tainan; Golden Cycle Corp., Taipei; Hsieh Chan Bicycle Co., Ltd., Changhua; Ideal Bike Corporation, Taichung; Kenstone Metal Co., Ltd., Taichung; Liyang Industrial Co., Ltd., Taipei; MT Racing Inc., Taichung; Oyama Industrial Co. Ltd, Tainan; Pretty Wheel Industrial Co., Ltd., Taichung; Rockman Taiwan Bicycle Mfg. Inc., Taichung; San Ground Co., Ltd., Taichung; Sanfa Bicycle Industrial Co., Ltd., Taichung; Sheng Fa Industries Co., Ltd., Taipei; Southern Cross International Co., Ltd. Nantou; Speedstar Industries Co., Ltd., Kaohsiung; Taioku Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Nantou; Taiwan Hodaka Industrial Co., Ltd., Taipei; United Engineering Corp., Taoyuan; Wai I Industry Co., Ltd., Chia-Yi; Wheeler Industrial Co., Ltd., Taichung; Willing Industry Co., Ltd., Taichung; Yuh Jiun Industrial Co., Ltd., Tainan; Chien Chin Frame Co., Ltd, Tainan; High-Ride Bicycle Co., Ltd, Taichung; John Ching Cycle Co., Ltd, Taichung; Jonq Tyan Enterprise Co., Ltd, Tainan. (MH/JO)