Even as India initiated 50 percent fewer anti-dumping investigations in the second half of last year, it was still ranked third in such probes, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Only the European Union with 17 probes and China with 16 outranked India's 14 investigations into alleged dumping between July and December 2004, the latest report of the multilateral trade organisation said Thursday.

India had initiated 33 new dumping probes in the corresponding period of 2003. On the whole, 17 WTO members initiated a total of 103 new investigations during the period under review, down from 135 in the same period of 2003.

In terms of the application of new and final anti-dumping measures, India headed the list during the second half of 2004, applying 23 out of a total of 91 new measures.

"This marked a decline in absolute terms, however, from the 32 new measures reported by India in the second half of 2003," the WTO report said.

Products exported from China remained the most frequent subject of new measures, accounting for 25 of the 91 total measures reported, while the US was a distant second with nine new measures.

India and Korea with eight measures each followed in the third place, followed by Taiwan fourth (seven measures), and the European Communities fifth (five measures).

In terms of the sector-specific breakdown, products in the chemicals sector were the most frequent subjects of new measures during the second half of 2004, with 29 of the 91 total new measures.

In second place were products in the plastics sector, which were subject to 20 new measures, while base metals and textiles followed suit with 15 and 11 new measures, respectively.

"Of the 29 new measures on products in the chemicals sector, China applied 20, followed by India that applied seven and Korea, which applied four," the report said.

India led in terms of new measures on products in the plastics sector, with 13 of the 20 total measures, followed by Turkey with five.

--Indo-Asian News Service