Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ronaldson, representing the Minister for Industry. In June 2013 the European Union applied antidumping duties to solar panels manufactured in China, following the US's application of similar duties in March last year. Australia has yet to apply any duties to these arguably dumped panels, although an application from Tindo Solar, in South Australia, has recently been lodged with the Anti-Dumping Commission. Does the minister acknowledge that Australia is lagging behind other nations in imposing such duties because the commission cannot investigate dumping claims until they have received an application and that the application process can be both lengthy and prohibitively expensive for manufacturers, especially small and medium enterprises? Does the minister also acknowledge that providing additional resources and funding could help shorten the application time and therefore put Australia at the forefront of these matters and protect Australian manufacturing jobs?