Chinese

imports
under fire
MrrkStdley and
Gc.dtlot|.y
T.ade tensions with ChiB are
settobe inflanedty a @npaign
to pushrhdCillard Soremmenl
ioto proredrog re) rtrouslrB
fron unfair coDp€tilion ftom

The powertul Australian

worters Union (Awu will rol-
low the food and retail sectorsin
campar€EingaSaitrslcodPet
lion lrcm imports wrtb arlllts
cially low prices, which it says
are cortins local.jobs.
Th€drire posesprottems ror
the Cnllard solsDment, which
needs io balance building
Austialia's vital t ade with
China asainst its pohical links
wil! ttE udons and increasi4
concerns about trade comPeti'

Sinilar canpaigns rc b€lng

wged iD oth€r wesrem coutr'
rri6 - in th€tlnired Stat€sand
Europe,in partculat - where
rhse ; Eowirg aDSetaboul job
losses said to be caused bY
_d!mped" Chin* imports
So<alleddumpio8 is 'llegal
Cd{irl.d D.!. 9
|n,1iav'/n\ on intlt\s. r,aa.3 4
Chineseimports comermder fire
Frflr p.g. I as th€ govqtrDent is consitering gror€rs, manufasture.s and the local
und€r World liade Organisation changesto Australia's adiduoping econony in this tine of recove.yj"
rules."Durnped" soodsde definedas lNq after the releaie of a report ldt In a joint initiatir with Cols,
thr€e that are sold on export markeis yearby the hoductivity Commission AMAG will di$nbute 500,000
for pric€s that have been unfairly A grouping of about 50 Australian remo ble tatt@s with tbe Australian
reduced by dired subsidies or by rnanufacturing corapdi6, the liade Made kanSaroologo to @ircid€ with
other measuresidended to cut their ReE€diestskforce, arguedin its sub,
pdce below that of similar, locally missior to .he PCs inquiry that the Tbe AwUs 'Don\ Dunp on Aus-
existenc of mechanismsto addr€ss tralia" canpaign aims to tap into
Action against dunping can only unfair trading practics was nationalistic fe€lings among voa6s
be tak€n by the federal 8or€mment, supportedby the wTo dd will includ€ adrertisiry and
which \tould haveto legislate to pre- 'Australia already has one of th€ direct lobbyins of H€ml MPs, while
ltna the lo,r'{ost imports. China, or most oper Ddkeas in the world for the union will bankoll ovefteas
any othei coun1ry of origiD of industry products,"the tarkforce said in!€stigations iDlo safetystaDdardsat
_dumped" goods,
would b€ fr@ to "With such an open markeq it is Chinese cornpanies that dump in
take a dispute to the WTo to hav€ impsalie that $€ ha\€ somed€vice
suchneasures declded ille8al undet 10ensurethat producls arc not landed The cupaign is basedon opinion
in Australia belor the market pric€ polling by Auspoll that found wlte-
So fa. ib€ Gillard gov€rnnent has in their own country simplyto capture sp.ead irnorance aDons voters of
strongly Histed usinS the antidump, ma*et advarta8€here.' "this th.eat to their job scurity , and
ing rul€s to blockforeig imports. In a Th. AWUdll cflmfttion ..poft or forld.co..i4 nd lort6r!' iislrts.t S€pdat€ly, the "Australian Made, strong support for aclion from tl€ fed-
speech in India y€sterday liade marorCl r.!o producors
ot !r.C, d||niniun .nd sla. Auslralian Growr" campai8n is eral go!€rnrrent againsa dumping.
MiDister Crai8 Emerson strongly arguin8 that rhefl@ds haE increased Mr Howosargu€dthat rhe AWU sup-
argled for turahq trade liberalisationChinese producers of ste€l, aluinitr- what aie claimed to be cheaper or the impo.tanc€ of consumersoptiig poiled freerhad€principles but was
and aSainst aDy resort to piolection- ium ard Slass to strengthen its infqiorrtualiiy 8oods. to 'consciously buy locally ina& and opposedao'lhos€ who ch€aton thse
istrL H€ will att€nd a metiDg of key arSumert Iifi the govemment to Aushaliu food industries and the principles to geaunfair advantage".
trade ninistds in Davos, Switz- introduce antidumping measures najor Australian retailers have "Our farxn€ls, fishermen, manu- Th€ AWU campaisn follows an
e an4 later this weet, airn€d ar acrcssa wid€ranse otindustri€s. recently launchedcanpaigns to push facturers and processorsmake dd official trade conplaint nade by its
revMng tbe stalled Doha fre+trade "WIED lorkers are told about hw the 8o\€rnment to help to k@p otn srow soods which are r€nowned sister union in the US, the United
neSotiationsto headoff risirg Slobal the Vibrld Trade Orsanisation rule, goods consid€red to be unfai8 lorldwide for their innovation, qual, Steelworkers, which all€ged that
ar€bent, and cheated04 they quickly undenrining Austatim producers. ity, high standardr, and of oourse,ir China was uDfaiily subsidisins iis
The AWU will launch its cupaisD understandthal the failure to piewnt A recent d€cision to allow the th€caseof food products,gr€al taste," clean€n€rg/ industry h deas suchar
at its nanoDalcode.mce next month- ill€sal trade dumpingwill causejob iDport of Chinese apples - and to AMAG chief executiv€lan H&risD the mdufactu.ing of wind turbins.
The gatherirg witl be addressedty lo*ses and further nanufactudng €xtend &e tiade to N€w Z.aland US businesses ar€ b€coning
hime Minisl€r Julia Gitldd. who sector shutdcans," ASU natioral apples - cau$d outsaseamong frun "l rcalv €ncouiaseall Austalians increasiDgly vocal about Chinat
relied on the union s support to help secretaryPaul Ho$ts sai! groweft which, significartly, has won to 8er behind our local busiD€ss€s, alleg€dly unfair od illesal tradine
her take the p.iDe ministership from Th€campai$ oomesamid gro'{in8 support from tlle Nationals andrais€d pro(fuclls and f.llrw {orkqs by buy- lactics and ar€ urging President
K€vin Rudd The union will commis, presure from other lectors of th€ quBtions about tb€ str€n8th of the iD8Australia.nflade and grown plod- Ba.ack Obamaand oth€r USofficials
sion .eports on inftrior workplace econony for the Cillard sowrriment opposition's coEnitm€nt to fre€ ucts.ribu will lot of,ly be buyin8 8reat to take the issue up mo.e forcefully
safery and sorrerj rights at najor to move to prot€ct local jobs from llade. Th€ AWUS cupaisn come! products; )€u wiil be supporting our with th€ir ChinesecouDtdpartr.