Anti-dumping Commission investigates imported wind towers

The new Australian Anti-dumping Commission has launched an investigation into wind towers imported from China and Korea in response to an application from the Australian Wind Tower Manufacturing Alliance, a group of local steel fabricators.

The application claims that Chinese and Korean manufacturers of utility-scale wind towers exported these goods at unfair prices, aiming to undercut Australian manufacturers.

The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) has welcomed the investigation.

“Australian wind tower manufacturers regret that this course of action has had to be taken, but we wish to make it clear to all stakeholders in the wind industry that we have had no choice as these incidents of towers being dumped into the Australian market are currently destroying the local wind tower manufacturing industry,” said Steve Garner, spokesperson for the Alliance and general manager of Australia’s largest wind tower manufacturer, Keppel Prince.

“If this situation is allowed to continue, it will destroy approximately 700 manufacturing jobs in the Australian clean energy sector and many more indirect jobs.”

The Australian wind tower industry used the services of the Australian Government-funded International Trade Remedies Advisor, an anti-dumping specialist employed by the Australian Industry Group.

The ASI has urged the federal government and Opposition to increase the number of Trade Remedies Advisors. There is currently only one advisor to cover all industries across the whole of Australia.

“Without the technical advice and support of the advisor, we would not have had the resources to prepare this application. Without his assistance, there is a risk that the entire Australian wind tower manufacturing industry would have collapsed,” said Steve Edmunds, managing director of Haywards, a medium-sized enterprise that manufactures wind towers.

“It will be disappointing for our economy if we do not capitalise on these opportunities to optimise Australian jobs growth across our manufacturing supply chain,” said ASI National Manager - Industry Development Ian Cairns.

“If local manufacturing does not benefit and grow from ongoing taxpayer support for the renewable energy sector, it will become less and less relevant to Australian communities.

“The ASI will be taking it up with the incumbent government to extend the recent Jobs Bill legislation and the use of Australian Industry Participation Plans for all renewable energy projects.”