EU Scraps Anti-Dumping Duty for Indonesian Biodiesel
Jakarta, MINA – The European Union (EU) has removed an anti-dumping duty for biodiesel imports of Indonesian and Argentine producers, after the former country won an appeal at the European Court of Justice.
Oke Nurwan, the Trade Ministry`s Foreign Trade Director General, stated here on Thursday that following the verdict, the EU will remove its anti-dumping duty of Indonesian biodiesel products from 8.8 percent to 23.3 percent.
“Our producers now are able to import biodiesel without being charged of additional import duty,” Nurwan noted in a written statement received by ANTARA in Jakarta on Thursday.
He explained that the verdict will apply to some producers who have filed a lawsuit with the EU court. Hence, other biodiesel importers will need to await a resolution announced by the Dispute Settlement Body of World Trade Organization (DSB WTO).
Before winning the appeal, the Indonesian government won a dispute at the WTO`s settlement body.
Nurwan believed that these two resolutions will show the world bodies? support for palm oil fair trade.
“We now have reclaimed our opportunities to market palm oil to European countries,” he remarked.
Plunging into abyss
According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesian biodiesel export to European countries has reached US$1.4 billion in 2011. However, the figure had plunged since EU imposed an anti-dumping duty in 2013.
During 2013-2016 period, the biodiesel export to European countries has significantly declined by 42.84 percent, from US$649 million in 2013 to $150 million in 2016.
Indonesian export has reached its lowest point in 2015, with $68 million.
Apart from Indonesian producers, the EU will also scrap the anti-dumping duty on Argentine`s biodiesel products.
Some companies that will be exempted from the duty include the Argentine`s Bunge Cargill, Louis Dreyfus, Molinos Rio de la Plata, as well as Indonesian producers Ciliandra Perkasa and Wilmar. (T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
