The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I move:

¶ 02 “That the Regulations published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2429/32 dated 27.03.2025, made by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development under sections 64, 65, 66, 69 and 70 read with section 84 and section 45(5) of the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act, No. 2 of 2018, and presented on 08.07.2025, be approved. (Cabinet approval granted.)”

¶ 03 Additionally, I present item No. 3 of the Order Paper – Regulations under the Judicature Act.

¶ 04 Hon. Speaker, today I present for approval the Regulations made under the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act as listed under item No. 2, and the Regulations under item No. 3. The purpose is to begin investigations necessary to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties, as approved by Cabinet on 27 March 2025. Further, procedures regarding price undertakings effective from 27.03.2025 have been published by Gazette Extraordinary No. 2429/32.

¶ 05 Order, please! At this stage, the Hon. Speaker leaves the Chair.

¶ 06 Whereupon the Hon. Speaker left the Chair, and the Hon. Deputy Speaker took the Chair.

¶ 07 Hon. Deputy Speaker, these Regulations aim to protect our domestic producers by ensuring a fair market and shielding them from unfair trade practices under the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act. There have been discussions since 2006 under WTO agreements (GATT/GATS) to ensure fair competition and provide remedies against unfairly subsidized or dumped imports that harm domestic industry, including in apparel, tiles and ceramics, and aluminium products. We have established an investigation unit in the Department of Commerce, with facilities and powers gazetted, to receive complaints and conduct inquiries.

¶ 08 A domestic producer affected by dumped or subsidized imports can lodge an application. The Director of Commerce will examine it and refer it to an Inter-Ministerial Committee to determine whether to impose duties and at what level. The decision then goes to the Secretary to the Treasury to assess broader economic impacts, including consumer benefits and market stability. Some essential imports like lentils, which we do not produce domestically, may benefit consumers; but where we have domestic production, even if small relative to national demand, measures must balance consumer interests with industrial survival.

¶ 09 These are not permanent duties; they provide time for domestic producers to adjust, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and compete fairly. We will assist applicants through the Department of Commerce and draw on international and regional best practices to protect domestic industry and consumers alike. Therefore, we seek Parliament’s approval of these Regulations.

¶ 10 Question proposed.