CNA files final statement in dumping investigation against imported powdered milk from Mercosur.

The Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) filed, on Monday (4), the final statement on the dumping investigation against powdered milk imported from Mercosur. The note is part of the investigation process into the dumping practice and summarizes all the arguments presented by the CNA, the investigated origins and interested parties, as well as comments from the Department of Trade Defense of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (Decom/MDIC) on the results of the investigation. The document reported important advances, such as the resumption of the previous understanding on the similarity between powdered milk and raw milk, the recognition of the dumping practice by both origins and the indication that the imports caused damage to Brazilian milk production. According to Decom's calculations, after responses to questionnaires made by four Argentine and three Uruguayan exporters, dumping margins were found that exceeded 60%. Although a preliminary document, the technical note with essential facts reflects what the productive sector has been arguing since 2022: imports at dumping prices have harmed Brazilian rural properties. The CNA (National Confederation of Agriculture) highlights the work conducted by the Department, especially after the entity presented new evidence, maintaining the technical rigor in the legal process established by national and international norms. Also in April, DECOM defended the investigation at a meeting of the WTO Anti-Dumping Practices Committee, a forum in which the investigated origins requested clarifications on the process conducted by Brazil, without presenting new arguments beyond those already answered during the process. It is important to note that this is not an international dispute or a formal request for dispute resolution. The investigation is now entering its final phase, and the next step is the submission of the Final Determination Opinion to the Trade Defense Committee of the Foreign Trade Chamber (CDC/Camex), which will carry out the technical evaluation of the investigation. The topic will be debated at the meeting of the Camex Management Group (Gecex), composed of the Minister of MDIC and Executive Secretaries of the ten ministries that make up the collegiate body. With the meeting scheduled for the end of May, the expectation is that Gecex will recognize the losses caused by imports at dumping prices and that anti-dumping measures will be approved to correct this unfair trade practice. The CNA remains firmly committed to working with the Executive branch in defense of national milk production, always with the support of representatives in the Parliamentary Fronts for Agriculture and in Support of Milk Producers. 

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.