GPCA '09: GPCA sets up advocacy committee to fight protectionism

10 December 2009 07:57  [Source: ICIS news]

DUBAI (ICIS news)--The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has set up an advocacy committee to take up protectionist measures against petrochemical producers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, a senior executive said late on Wednesday.

Hamad Al-Terkait, CEO of EQUATE Petrochemical Co and vice chairman of GPCA, said the committee was headed by Ahmad Al-Ohali, CEO of Sipchem (Saudi International Petrochemical Company).

"The committee is meant to collectively address the issue of anti-dumping measures against the petrochemical industry in the GCC and not to take up individual cases," Al-Terkait said on the sidelines of the 4th GPCA forum.

The committee's plan of action is still being finalised as it was formed during the ongoing conference this week.

Sipchem would take up the anti-dumping issue with China while Saudi Basic Industries Corp (Sabic) would do the same with India, he said.

Sipchem has been affected by the anti-dumping duties imposed by China on Saudi Arabia for butanediol (BDO), while Sabic is facing similar duties on polypropylene (PP) India has imposed on Saudi Arabia. Turkey has also been looking at imposing anti-dumping duties against Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for monoethylene glycol (MEG).

"The current trend of governments resorting to trade barriers to protect domestic petrochemical industries is a matter of great concern to GCC producers, who are net exporters of petrochemical products and have huge capacities coming on stream," Al-Terkait said.

The three-day forum ends on Thursday.

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By: Prema Viswanathan
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