Jamaica’s Anti-Dumping and Subsidies Commission (ADSC) has ruled that cement imported from the Dominican Republic is being dumped in Jamaica, and that there was evidence of some injury to the domestic industry as a result, scoring a Round One victory to Caribbean Cement Company Limited.
But in its preliminary findings released Thursday, the commission also said that the majority determination was inconclusive as whether the injury was ’material’.

That is to be determined in the next phase of the investigation.

The ADSC also said the commissioners decided that the continued and increased importation of the dumped cement was "likely to cause material injury".

Chairman of the commission, Derrick McKoy, dissented on the finding of material injury and threat of injury, while the other three commissioners, Sandra Shirley, Leslie Campbell and Velma Brown-Hamilton, voted the other way.

The ADSC ruled that the Ordinary Portland cement originating from the Dominican Republic and distributed in Jamaica by importer Buying House Cement Limited (BHC) is being dumped at a margin of 84.69 per cent.

The exporter of the cement is Domicem of Santo Domingo.

The commission did not, as it has done in the past, impose provisional duties on the Domicem cement.
Caribbean Cement, which has had to shutter its manufacturing operation temporarily as sales wane, said it was concerned by what seems to be developing into a "worrying trend".