After The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Turkey has started an anti-dumping investigation against German producers of laminate flooring with the action following publication of the Turkish “Official Gazette” on December 18, 2013, the disturbance in the industry continues to create question marks for trade matters between two countries.
As ORSIAD Journal, we have reached Mr. Peter H. Meyer, the Managing Director of the EPLF as a spokesman and central coordinator in these proceedings and asked for his personal judgments on the matter. While we are quoting his explanations on this article, we would like to remind our readers that these facts are in no way official statements by the association as a whole or by one of their statutory organs, their members’ assembly or their presidency.
Here are several facts that are quoted by Mr. Meyer;
“ –The Turkish Ministry of Economy accepted with fax letter of January 29, 2014, the EPLF’s application as an interested party in the further proceedings.
– We try to have a meeting with our Turkish members as well as non-member laminate flooring manufacturers from Turkey organized in Yonga Levha Sanayicileri Derneği. This meeting is expected to happen in the month of March. The EPLF sees itself as neutral in these procedures and wants to learn more about the motives and problems the Turkish laminate flooring industry is facing.
– We know from some of the affected ten German laminate flooring manufacturers that they will not cooperate in the investigation proceedings because the value and volume of their exports to Turkey are in no feasible relation to the costs of preparing answers to the voluminous questionnaire.
– Insiders of the industry with global background pointed out to us that the Turkish manufacturers of laminate flooring are suffering disadvantages from their structural high sourcing costs within their intricate raw wood supply system.
– The present shifts of the exchange rate of the Turkish Lira compared to the Euro will make it even more difficult for all parties involved to find a sound basis for any judgments concerning dumping or subsidy practices.”