Ukraine Investigating Bearing Imports

The Ukraine Economic Ministry's Interdepartmental Committee for International Trade has initiated five antidumping investigations. The investigations primarily involve products imported from Russia, but also include problem imports from countries not formerly Soviet states. A key investigation involves all ball bearings imported to the Ukraine from China. The complaint was filed by the Kharkov Bearing Plant, one of the largest manufacturers of ball and roller bearings in the former Soviet states. Kharkov filed the complaint primarily to address the, "enormous growth of cheap bearings imported from China." The company has reason for concern. Between 2002 and 2005, Ukraine's imports of Chinese-made ball bearings exploded, up more than 100-fold. In the past year alone, import volume of Chinese bearings more than tripled. Today, more than 66% of Ukraine's bearing imports are manufactured in China. Kharkov complained to the Economic Ministry, noting the "dangerous dynamics of imports from China and low prices, soon the whole bearing industry will be under threat." Kharkov and other Ukrainian bearing companies said they expect, as a result of the investigation, the Ministry will impose duties and/or limits on the import of bearings from China. Specifically, the focus is on low-price ball bearings from China and not the, "expensive products of Western manufacturers," and not bearings manufactured in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States, essentially the former Soviet states).