This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 26, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will impose definitive anti-dumping duties on cellulose fibre reinforced cement flat and pattern sheets or fibre cement board (FCB) from Indonesia for the next five years.

The decision was made after the government initiated an anti-dumping investigation on July 26, 2019 following a petition by UAC Bhd, representing domestic producers, in accordance with the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act 1993 and Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Regulation 1994.

UAC had alleged that imports of FCB from Indonesia are being dumped into Malaysia at a price much lower than the selling price in Indonesia and causing material injury to the domestic industry in Malaysia.

“The government of Malaysia has conducted and concluded the anti-dumping investigation on producers and importers in Malaysia, as well as producers/exporters from the alleged country.

“The government has decided to impose definitive anti-dumping duties concerning imports of cellulose fibre reinforced cement flat and pattern sheet and specifically excluding external roofing from Indonesia as follows: PT Etex Building Performance Indonesia - 9.14%, Others - 108.1%,” the ministry of international trade and industry (Miti) said in a statement yesterday.

Miti said the Royal Malaysian Customs Department will be responsible for enforcing the collection of anti-dumping duties on imports of FCB from Indonesia for the five-year period until March 20, 2025.