EC OPENS ANTI-DUMPING ENQUIRY INTO SOVIET MERCURY

  The European Community Commission said
  it has opened an enquiry into allegations that the Soviet Union
  is dumping mercury on the European market at below-cost prices.
      The Commission said its decision follows a complaint from
  EC non-ferrous metals producers that the sales of Soviet
  mercury were harming their business and threatening jobs in the
  European industry.
      According to the complaint, Soviet mercury sales in the EC
  had risen from zero in recent years to 100 tonnes between
  August and October last year and threaten to capture 25 pct of
  the EC market if they continue at the same pace.
      The industry said the mercury was being sold at more than
  40 pct below prices charged by EC producers, forcing them to
  cut their prices to levels that no longer covered costs. The
  imports had caused producers heavy financial losses, it said.
      The Commission said the industry would probably be unable
  to hold prices at current levels and that any increase would
  result in loss of sales and jobs.
      The so-called anti-dumping procedure opened by the
  Commission will allow all interested parties to state their
  cases to the authority.
  

