On 20 August 2025, the International Trade Administration of South Africa (ITAC) invited comment on the initiation of a sunset review of anti-dumping duties on boards, sheets, panels, tiles and similar plaster articles not ornamented, faced or reinforced (gypsum paperboard), classifiable in tariff subheading 6809.11, originating in or imported from Thailand and Indonesia. Comment is due by 27 September 2025.
Regulation 53.1 and 53.2 of South Africa’s Anti-Dumping Regulations (ADR) states that “anti-dumping duties shall remain in place for a period not exceeding five years from the imposition or the last review thereof”, and “if a sunset review has been initiated prior to the lapse of an anti-dumping duty, such anti-dumping duty shall remain in force until the sunset review has been finalised.”
On 07 June 2024, ITAC, through a Government Gazette notice, notified interested parties that unless a substantiated request by or on behalf of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) industry was made indicating that the expiry, on 27 August 2025, of the anti-dumping duties on gypsum plasterboard originating in or imported from Thailand and Indonesia there would likely be a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury.
The application was lodged by Saint-Gobain Construction Products South Africa (Pty) Ltd (Saint-Gobain), supported by Etex South Africa Building System (Pty) Ltd. Saint-Gobain is the major producer of the subject product in the SACU.
Saint-Gobain alleged that the expiry of the anti-dumping duties would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping and the continuation or recurrence of material injury. Saint-Gobain submitted sufficient evidence and established a prima facie case to enable ITAC to arrive at a reasonable conclusion that a sunset review investigation of the anti-dumping duties on Gypsum Plasterboard originating in or imported from Indonesia and Thailand should be initiated.
The anti-dumping duties subject to this sunset review are applicable to boards, sheets, panels, tiles and similar articles of plaster or of compositions based on plaster, not ornamented, faced or reinforced with paper or paperboard only, not ornamented, originating in or imported from Thailand and Indonesia, classifiable under tariff subheading 6809.11.
The allegation of continuation or recurrence of dumping is based on the comparison between the normal values and the export prices. The normal values for Thailand and Indonesia were based on ex-factory price quotations obtained from domestic producers of the subject product in Thailand and Indonesia.
In the absence of exports from Thailand and Indonesia to SACU during the period of investigation, Saint-Gobain nominated India for purposes of export price determination.
The dumping margins for Thailand and Indonesia were determined to be 22.26% and 41.74%, respectively.
On this basis, ITAC found that there was prima facie proof indicating that the expiry of the anti-dumping duties would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping of the subject product originating in or imported from Indonesia and Thailand.
Saint-Gobain alleged and submitted prima facie evidence to indicate that the expiry of the anti-dumping duties would likely lead to a recurrence of material injury in the form of price suppression, price depression, and price undercutting.
Saint-Gobain’s alleged and submitted prima facie evidence to indicate that it would experience a decline in sales volumes and values, profits, output, market share, return on investment, capacity utilisation, and cash flow, as well as an increase in inventories.
On this basis, ITAC found that there was prima facie proof indicating that the expiry of the anti-dumping duties would likely lead to the recurrence of material injury.
The period of investigation for dumping is from 01 November 2023 to 31 October 2024. The period of investigation for material injury spans 01 November 2021 to 31 October 2024. In the event that the duties expire, estimates for the period from 01 November 2024 to 31 October 2025 have been provided.