Morocco: Anti-dumping duties on imports from Egypt

Imports into Morocco of canned tomato products originating in Egypt will be subject to a temporary anti-dumping duty of 29.93%. 
 
This measure was determined on the basis of the dumping margin calculated by the Commerce Department following the preliminary phase of its anti-dumping investigation into imports of canned tomato products, including tomato paste, which began in August 2023 following a request by the Moroccan federation of Food industries (FENAGRI). The investigations carried out have confirmed the existence of injury to the national production sector, which has been materialized, among other things, by the fall in the share of local production in national consumption, the stagnation of employment and the instability of the return on investment.
 
The dumping margins calculated and expressed as a percentage of the export price amount to 29.93%, according to the Ministry. The investigation concluded that, given the lack of cooperation from the Egyptian exporting producers, the dumping margin was determined on the basis of the best information available. The normal value was established on the basis of "ex-factory" prices calculated on the basis of prices displayed in the leaflets of supermarkets operating on the Egyptian market. The export price, on the other hand, was determined on the basis of import prices obtained from the sales data of Moroccan supermarkets. For the purposes of a fair comparison, the export price and the normal value have been made at the ex-factory level of trade of the Egyptian exporting producers. The Ministry explains that adjustments relating to the point-of-sale trade margin, distribution costs and value-added tax (VAT) were made to the normal value, while adjustments relating to the point-of-sale trade margin, distribution logistics costs, VAT and the importer's gross margin were taken into account in the export price. The investigation also showed the existence of injury to the domestic industry. 
 
According to the findings of the investigation, the volume of imports of canned tomatoes originating in Egypt increased significantly during the period under review, both in absolute terms and in relation to domestic production and consumption (see article linked below). Similarly, imports of preserved tomatoes originating in Egypt have had a significant effect on the prices of locally produced preserved tomatoes, as evidenced by the existence of an undercutting price. Indicators for the domestic industry show that injury has been caused by, among other things, a fall in the share of local production in national consumption, stagnation in employment and instability in the return on investment. 

Sources: Le Matin, Media24