EU Drops Antidumping Probe Into Recordable CDs From China
BRUSSELS (AP)--The European Union has ended an antidumping investigation into recordable CDs from China, Hong Kong and Malaysia, saying a surge of imports from India and copyright levies seem to have done European manufacturers more harm.
The decision comes a week after the bloc dropped a similar probe into blank DVD imports from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, deciding protective tariffs would do little to help Europe's domestic industry.
The E.U. said all major importers and retailers - including Carrefour SA (12017.FR), Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN) and Metro AG (MEO.XE) - were against duties on recordable CD imports.
It found evidence that the Asian manufacturers were damaging European CD makers by doubling imports and undercutting their prices by up to 70%.
However, it said the European industry may also be hurt by cheap Indian CDs and levies most E.U. nations charge on blank CDs to compensate artists and rights-holders for private copying.
E.U. producers were also hurt by shrinking sales, it said. Recordable CD sales fell 7% from 2003 as people turned to other forms of data and music storage.
"The imposition of measures would have substantial negative effects on importers, distributors, retailers and consumers," the E.U. concluded.
欧盟取消对中国刻录盘反倾销调查
欧盟(European Union)结束了针对从中国大陆、香港和马来西亚进口的可刻录CD的反垄断调查，称来自印度进口的激增以及版权费的大幅提高对欧洲制造商造成更大伤害。
此前一周，欧盟取消了针对从中国大陆、香港和台湾进口的空白DVD的调查，认为施加保护性关税对欧洲行业于事无补。
欧盟表示，所有主要的进口商和零售商均反对向可刻录CD征收进口关税，其中包括家乐福(Carrefour S.A.)、Tesco PLC和麦德龙(Metro AG)。
欧盟认为，有证据显示亚洲制造商对欧洲CD制造商造成伤害，因为来自亚洲的进口量增长了一倍，而且亚洲制造商把产品价格下调了至多70%。
但欧盟称，印度廉价的CD以及大多数欧盟国家为补偿艺人和版权所有者而向空白CD征收的版权费，也对欧洲CD行业构成伤害。
欧盟表示，欧洲CD制造商也受到销售额大幅下降的影响。随着消费者更多地使用其他形式储存数据和音乐，可刻录CD的销售额较2003年下降了7%。
欧盟的结论是，采取惩罚性措施将对进口商、分销商、零售商和消费者带来严重的负面影响。
