April 27, 2007 – The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) has announced that it will hold an expiry review on dumping duties currently imposed under the Special Import Measures Act for bicycles and frames originating or exported from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and China.

The current duties were set to expire at the end of this year, after being originally imposed back on December 11, 1992 and then renewed in 1997 and 2002.

Currently the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the CITT are collecting information from bicycle manufacturers and importers to determine whether dumping is actually occurring in Canada. AS A MANUFACTURER OR IMPORTER OF BICYCLES INTO CANADA IT IS IN YOUR INTERESTS TO PROVIDE THESE DATA. Failure to do so means that the CITT will make its decision on whether dumping is occurring based on an incomplete set of information. Domestic manufacturers and importers of bicycles and frames should submit questionnaires to the CITT by May 7th.

The forms can be obtained at:
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima/expiry-review/rr2006-001-e07-qu-eng.html

A decision will be released on July 26th by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) as to whether there is a likelihood of continued or resumed dumping. If the CBSA determines no likelihood, then duties will expire this December, if a determination is made that there is a likelihood of continued dumping then an Inquiry will be held by the Tribunal to decide whether to continue duties.

More information can be found at:www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima/expiry-e.html

In March of 2007 the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada petitioned the CITT to allow the existing duties to expire without review. BTAC is strongly opposed both to the duties and the significant administration costs incurred in verifying that products should not be subject to duties.

Paul Nielsen, President of BTAC notes, “The duty scheme does nothing more than drive up consumer prices of bicycles discouraging their use as the most environmentally friendly, healthy and efficient means of urban transportation,” adding, “With our growing awareness of the dire consequences of climate change and with Canadian cities choked with smog it is simply absurd to do anything that drives up the cost of a bicycle.”