Dti vows to continue crack-down on illegal imports

The Department of Trade and Industry will act decisively to crack down on underinvoicing and illegal imports, trade and industry minister Dr Rob Davies said in his budget vote address last week. “There is growing evidence that this is becoming widespread and pervasive. “We are looking to crack down on the big fish and will prosecute anyone we discover with the full force of the law.” Davies was also clear on future tariff policy. “Trade policy, including tariff policy, must be much more strongly and deliberately aligned with our industrial policy objectives and priorities. “Our approach will combine both offensive initiatives to expand and lock in access to key markets, and defensive measures, within the space allowed by World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, to prevent the destruction of the economy’s productive capacity by trade practices such as subsidies and dumping.” Until now, the major tariff policy initiatives have been to lower tariffs from formerly protected upstream, capital-intensive industries, producing inputs that are important cost items for the downstream industries that need to be nurtured. “If on an evidence-based approach we conclude that it is necessary to reduce or even remove duties we will continue to do so. At the same time, where processes of “self-discovery” and the development of sector strategies lead to the conclusion that some particular industry or sector requires some increase in tariffs, and we have the space to do so under WTO rules, we must have the courage to provide such support.”