Antidumping duties on Turkish flour extended

The Department of Agriculture (DA) extended the antidumping duty levied on imported wheat flour originating from Turkiye for three years or until 2026 to protect the local industry.

The agency formalized the extension following the recent promulgation of Department Order No. 12 which imposed the second extension of the duties on the food commodity.

The latest DA directive applies to at least 13 Turkish exporters. These are Unay Gida Nak San Ve Tic Ltd Sti (with a 16.19 percent weighted average dumping margin); Dost Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. (15.43 percent); Tekinak Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. (13.72 percent); Tekirdag Un San Ve Tic Ltd Sti (12.60 percent); Karahan Degirmencilik Ltd Sti (7.91 percent) and Akduy Gida Traim Tarim Ins Nak San (5.09 percent).

The same issuance also covers Erisler Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret (5.07 percent); Eksun Gida Tarim San Ve Tic A.S. (4.72 percent); Turun Gida San Ve Tic A.S. (4.60 percent); Kale Madencilik San Ve Tic A.S. (3.55 percent); Doruk Marmara Un Sanayi Ciligi A.S. (3.12 percent); Ulusoy Un Sanayi Ve Ticaret (3.04 percent) and Ulas Gida Un Tekstil Nakliye Ticaret Ve Sanayi A.S. (2.87 percent).

Meanwhile, other exporters are slapped with a weighted average dumping margin of 16.19 percent.

The same order terminated the imposition of the antidumping duty on four exporters, namely Ektas Tarim Urunleri End Ve Tic A.S., Ozdoyuran Dis Tikaret Ve Un Sanayi, Yorukugullari Gida Sanayi Ve and Yuksel Tezcan Gida San Ve Tic Ltd. Sti as they have exported less than 2 percent or made no shipment at all.

In the case of first-time exporters, the DA said no antidumping duties will be levied while the Tariff Commission (TC) is carrying out the review.

Preventive measure

The DA issued the order after the TC’s Dec. 18 report concluded that “the termination of antidumping duties is highly likely to lead to the continuation of dumping” and “the imposition of definitive antidumping duties prevented the occurrence of material injury to the domestic industry.”

It also found that “a real and imminent threat of material injury continues to exist and there is a high likelihood that material injury to the domestic wheat flour industry would occur once the antidumping duties are terminated.”

The TC said it made this recommendation as the removal of the antidumping duty would likely result in increased imports of Turkish wheat flour at dumped prices and affect the viability of the domestic industry in the long run.

It also said the Philippines remains an imported wheat flour export market of Türkiye amid the imposition of antidumping duties as it ranked second among the top country destinations of Turkish wheat flour, next to Indonesia, in Southeast Asia and other neighboring countries.

The antidumping duty on wheat flour sourced from Turkiye was first implemented in 2015 and was extended for another three years in 2020.