L 45/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 19.2.1999 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 362/1999 of 18 February 1999 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of steel ropes and cables originating in the People’s Republic of China, India, Mexico, South Africa and the Ukraine and accepting undertakings offered by certain exporters in Hungary and Poland 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 905/98 (%), and in particular Articles 7 and 8 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE (1)  On 20 May 1998, the Commission announced, by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (*), the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding with regard to imports into the Community of steel ropes and cables originating in the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter ‘the PRC’), India, the Republic of Korea (hereinafter ‘Korea’), South Africa and the Ukraine. On 30 July 1998 the Commission similarly announced the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of the same product originating in Hungary, Mexico and Poland (*). (2)  The proceedings were initiated as a result of two complaints lodged in April and June 1998 by the Liaison Committee of European Union Wire Rope Industries (EWRIS) on behalf of Community producers representing a major proportion of the Community production of steel ropes and cables. The complaints contained evidence of dumping of the said product and of material injury resulting therefrom, which was considered sufficient, after consultation, to justify the initiation of a proceeding. It was subsequently considered appropriate for the purposes of both dumping and injury analysis to combine the two proceedings (see recital 6). () OJ L 56, 6. 3. 1996, p. 1. () OJ L 128, 30. 4. 1998, p. 18. () OJ C 155, 20. 5. 1998, p. 11. () OJ C 239, 30. 7. 1998, p. 3. @) The Commission officially advised the complain- ant Community producers, exporting producers and importers, suppliers and users known to be concerned as well as associations concerned and representatives of the exporting countries. Inter- ested parties were given the opportunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing within the time limit set in the notices of initiation. All parties who so requested were granted a hearing. The Commission sent questionnaires to all parties known to be concerned. In view of the large number of complainant Community producers and the time limits established in Article 6(9) of Regu- lation (EC) No 384/96 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Basic Regulation’) the Commission decided to investigate injury on the basis of a sample of complainant Community producers in accordance with Article 17 of the Basic Regulation. The Commission received replies from 21 exporting producers in the countries concerned, three impor- ters and three suppliers for the upstream industry. No reply was received from the user industry. The Commission sought and verified all the infor- mation it deemed necessary for the purposes of a preliminary determination of dumping, injury and Community interest and carried out verification visits at the premises of the following companies: A. Complainant Community producers (@) Denmark Randers Rebslageri (b) France Trefileurope (c) Germany BTS Drahtseile GmbH (d) Italy Redaelli Tecnacordati SpA (e) Spain Trenzas y Cables SL (f) United Kingdom Bridon International Limited