MINISTERS also approved changes to the EU anti-dumping rules to take account of China and Russia’s emergence as market economies, removing both countries from the list of those facing ‘non-market economy treatment’. This means producers who can show that they are operating under market conditions will be subject to the same anti-dumping procedures as firms in other market economies.

THE EU’s Court of Auditors has ruled that New Zealand owes the Union substantial back-duties on European butter imports. The financial watchdog issued its non-binding observations after an investigation into imports of salted butter to the UK. It said the unpaid duties were in excess of 400 million ecu but the recoverable amount, relating to the last three years, was around 120 million ecu.