OTTAWA - Canada imposed a temporary duty on frozen self-rising pizza from south of the border, in a sign that it is getting tough on alleged United States pizza dumping.
The Canadian Border Services Agency said on Monday U.S. producers were selling their pizzas in Canada 39.4 per cent cheaper than at home.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal had said in March that pizza dumping was damaging Canadian producers.
The preliminary finding followed a complaint in January from New Brunswick-based McCain Foods.
FROM JANUARY 2, 2004: McCain Foods complains fast-rising pizza imports are costing it dough
McCain claims that the unfair trade practice of dumping had harmed the Canadian industry by causing price erosion and lost sales in 2003.
The complaint by the company that last year announced a $29 million expansion of its Grand Falls, N.B. pizza plant, led authorities to investigate two U.S. pizzamakers and four Canadian importers, according to the Canadian Press.
The U.S. companies were said to be Kraft Foods Inc. of Chicago and Palermo Villa Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The border agency will make a final decision in the case by August 16, while the tribunal is expected to produce a final ruling in the case by September 14.CBC:
