18.9.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 248/17 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1827/2001 of 17 September 2001 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of certain zinc oxides originating in the People's Republic of China THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 of 22 December 1995 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2238/2000 (3, and in partic- ular Article 7 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE On 20 December 2000 the Commission announced by a notice (‘notice of initiation’) published in the Official Journal of the European Communities () the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding with regard to imports into the Community of certain zinc oxides originating in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The proceeding was initiated as a result of a complaint lodged in November 2000 by the European Association of Metals (‘Eurometaux’) on behalf of Asturiana de Zinc SA, Co.ge.fin. SpA, Elementis Pigments, Grillo Zinkoxid GmbH, Metaleurop GmbH and Union Miniére Zinc Chemicals (the complainant Community producers’), together representing a major proportion, in the current case 75 %, of the Community production of certain zinc oxides. The complaint contained evidence of dumping of the said product and of material injury resulting there- from, which was considered sufficient to justify the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding. The Commission officially advised the exporting produ- cers and importers(traders known to be concerned as well as their associations, the representatives of the exporting country concerned, users, suppliers and the complainant Community producers, of the initiation of the proceeding. Interested parties were given the oppor- tunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing within the time limit set in the notice of initiation. A number of exporting producers in the country concerned, as well as Community producers, Community users and importers/traders made their views known in writing. All parties who so requested 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1. o L 0] L 257, 11.10.2000, p. 2. 0] C 366, 20.12.2000, p. 7. within the above time limit and showed that there were particular reasons why they should be heard were granted the opportunity to be heard. The Commission sent questionnaires to all parties known to be concerned and to all the other companies that made themselves known within the deadlines set out in the notice of initiation. Replies were received from the six complainant Community producers, five exporting producers in the country concerned as well as from six importers in the Community which were not related to exporting producers. The Commission also received replies from 13 users, five suppliers and two users' associations. Six other producers of zinc oxide in the Community, which were not involved in the complaint, also provided the Commission with some general information on their activities. In order to allow exporting producers in the PRC to submit a claim for market economy treatment (MET) or individual treatment if they so wished, the Commission sent to Chinese companies known to be concerned a market economy status and an individual treatment claim form. No other companies made themselves known within the deadlines set out in the notice of initiation. Five companies requested MET pursuant to Article 2(7)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 384/96 (‘the basic Regulation’) or individual treatment should the invest- igation establish that they did not meet the conditions for MET. The Commission sought and verified all the information it deemed necessary for the purpose of a determination of dumping, injury and Community interest. Verification visits were carried out at the premises of the following companies: (a) Exporting producers in the PRC — Liuzhou Nonferrous Metals Smelting Co. Ltd, Liuzhou — Liuzhou Fuxin Chemical Industry Co. Ltd, Liuzhou — Gredmann Guigang Chemical Ltd, Guigang — Liuzhou Zinc Products Co. Ltd, Liuzhou — Liuzhou Longcheng Chemical General Plant, Liuzhou (b) Analogue country — United States of America: US Zinc Co. Millington, Tennessee