4.5.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 111/5 COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 377/2010 of 3 May 2010 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of sodium gluconate originating in the People’s Republic of China THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (') (the basic Regulation), and in particular Article 7 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: ) A. PROCEDURE 1. Initiation On 30 June 2009, the Commission received a complaint concerning imports of dry sodium gluconate (SG) orig- inating in the People’s Republic of China (China) lodged pursuant to Article 5 of the basic Regulation by the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) (the complainant) on behalf of producers representing a major proportion, in this case more than 50 %, of the total Union production of dry sodium gluconate. The complaint contained prima facie evidence of dumping and of material injury caused by such dumping which was considered sufficient to justify the opening of an anti-dumping proceeding. On 11 August 2009, a proceeding was initiated by the publication of a notice of initiation in the Official Journal of the European Union (2). 2. Parties concerned by the proceeding The Commission officially advised the exporting producers in China, importers, traders, users and associations known to be concerned, the authorities of China and the complainant Union producers of the L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 51. C 188, 11.8.2009, p. 24. (10) initiation of the proceeding. Interested parties were given the opportunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing within the time limit set in the notice of initiation. All interested parties who so requested and showed that there were particular reasons why they should be heard were granted a hearing. In order to allow exporting producers to submit a claim for market economy treatment (MET) or individual treatment (IT), if they so wished, the Commission sent claim forms to the Chinese exporting producers known to be concerned and to the authorities of China. One exporting producer requested MET pursuant to Article 2(7) of the basic Regulation and another exporting producer, including two related companies, requested IT pursuant to Article 9(5) of the same Regu- lation. In view of the apparent high number of exporting producers in China and importers in the Union, the Commission indicated in the notice of initiation that sampling might be applied for these parties in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation. In order to enable the Commission to decide whether sampling would be necessary and, if so, to select a sample, all exporting producers in China and Union importers were asked to make themselves known to the Commission and to provide, as specified in the notice of initiation, basic information on their activities related to the product concerned during the investigation period (1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009). Given the limited number of responses to the sampling exercise, it was decided that sampling was not necessary for Chinese exporting producers or importers in the Union. Questionnaires were sent to all companies in China and importers in the Union who responded to the sampling exercise, to the Union producers, and to all known importers and wusers in the Union. Replies were received from two exporting producers or groups of exporting producers in China, two producers in the Union and four importers/users.