The Australian federal government has passed legislation to strengthen the trade remedies system so it is easier to access and more effective.
Under the new legislation, responsibility for safeguard inquiries will transfer from the Productivity Commission to the Anti-Dumping Commission, which is set to be renamed the Australian Trade Remedies Commission.
As Australia’s central authority for all trade remedy accountable investigations, the Anti-Dumping Commission will be renamed the Australian Trade Remedies Commission.
“Australia’s commitment to open and rules-based trade is unwavering. These changes ensure that our trade remedies system is fit for purpose at a time of increased international trade tensions,” said Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell.
“The establishment of a streamlined Australian Trade Remedies Commission makes Australia stronger and gives our business a vital set of tools to use when international trade is not being conducted fairly.”
Industry body Weld Australia has backed the federal government’s decision to establish a dedicated, single trade remedies watchdog, describing the reform as a crucial step towards securing a fair go for local manufacturers.
The regulatory shift comes just two weeks after Weld Australia publicly condemned an interim finding by the Productivity Commission that rejected safeguard measures on imported fabricated structural steel. The industry body noted that the refusal occurred despite the Commission’s own data showing a 28 per cent surge in steel imports over the five-year investigation period.
Weld Australia CEO Geoff Crittenden praised the creation of a streamlined regulatory body, arguing that Australia’s trade remedies system had long been fragmented, slow, and tilted against domestic businesses.
“When the umpire keeps missing the fouls, you don’t tell the players to toughen up. You get a better umpire,” Crittenden said.
“A single, specialist Commission, with deep expertise in dumping, subsidies and safeguards, is a practical, sensible step towards a system that actually works for Australian industry.”
