In short
The preliminary report from the Australian Trade Remedies Commission found that Chinese aluminium windows and doors were sold here at unfair prices.
asserted
windows → find → prices
From October 15, importers must provide financial guarantees of up to 73.3 per cent of the product value when their goods enter the country.
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goods → provide → country
What's next
The commission is due to make its final recommendation to the minister by December 16.
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commission → make → December
Australia's international trade monitor has found Chinese aluminium windows and doors were "dumped" here, heavily undercutting local prices and damaging the Australian industry.
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windows → find → industry
Starting today, companies importing these goods will also have to put down a financial guarantee when their products enter the country, prompting a warning about higher construction costs and potential retaliation by China.
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products → start → China
In a preliminary report, the Australian Trade Remedies Commission, formerly the Anti-Dumping Commission, found all Chinese exporters except one had dumped the goods between July 1, 2024 and June 30 last year.
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exporters → find → July
The commission found the goods were sold with dumping margins ranging from 5.3 per cent to 70.4 per cent of their normal price, depending on the exporter.
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goods → find → exporter
Some exporters were also found to have received modest subsidies from various levels of government in China.
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exporters → find → China
The commission found the Chinese imports had "caused material injury" to the Australian industry.
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imports → find → industry
It estimated the local aluminium windows and doors market was worth about $2.8 billion during the investigation period.
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market → estimate → period
Chinese imports accounted for 19 per cent of total sales, Australia accounted for about 79 per cent, and the remaining 2 per cent came from other countries.
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cent → account → countries
According to the report, local manufacturers' sales volumes fell by about 19 per cent from July 2021 to June 2025.
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volumes → accord → June
Meanwhile, the value of their sales dropped about 14 per cent from a peak in the 2023 financial year, according to the report.
uncertain
value → drop → report
The commission found that half of the tenders and quotes they examined were about 30 per cent lower than the expected prices, while more than a quarter were undercut by 40 per cent or more.
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quarter → find → cent
It estimated the Australian industry had lost about $350 million due to undercutting by "dumped and/or subsidised imports from China".
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industry → estimate → China
The commission has proposed recommending Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres publish a dumping duty notice for Chinese goods, which would lead to duties imposed on those imports.
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which → propose → imports
Chinese-made aluminium windows and doors currently face no tariffs under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
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windows → make → Agreement
A spokesperson for Mr Ayres said the Albanese government supported free and fair trade.
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government → say → trade
"The Australian Trade Remedies Commission initiates its rigorous, evidence-based investigations based on applications from industry," they said.
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they → initiate → industry
"Any trade remedies imposed are fully consistent with Australia's obligations under its trade agreements.
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remedies → impose → agreements
"
Securities could 'effectively lead to price increase'
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Securities → lead → increase
While the investigation continues, the commissioner said financial securities were needed to "prevent material injury" to the Australian industry.
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securities → continue → industry
From today, importers will have to provide financial securities worth between 5.3 per cent and 73.3 per cent of the value of their products.
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importers → have → products
The percentage will depend on the exporting company.
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percentage → depend → company
These securities are financial guarantees against duties that may become payable later.
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that → become → duties
The industry minister will make the final decision on whether any duties are imposed.
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duties → make → decision
UNSW international economic law professor Zhou Weihuan said duties were likely to be imposed, because it was "hard to change" the findings in the commission's preliminary report.
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it → say → report
He said securities could "effectively lead to price increases" because importers would account for them in their pricing.
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importers → say → pricing
"The price impact would involve an increase in imported aluminium windows and doors, which in turn would push up construction costs for commercial and residential premises," Professor Zhou said.
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Zhou → involve → premises
'Protect competition from unfair trading'
The investigation began on November 25 after an application by Ventora Group and the Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA).
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investigation → protect → Group
The application alleged the local industry had "suffered material injury" through lost sales and price suppression.
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industry → allege → sales
"We're not asking government to protect Australian businesses from competition," Clinton Skeoch, AGWA's CEO, told the ABC.
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Skeoch → ask → ABC
"We're asking government to protect competition from unfair trading."
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We → ask → trading
AGWA welcomed the securities and said they were "an important and positive development" for an industry that had faced significant pressure from dumped imports.
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that → welcome → imports
The ABC has approached China's Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese embassy for comment.
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ABC → approach → comment
Professor Zhou said Chinese retaliation was unlikely, because China had historically taken far fewer anti-dumping and countervailing actions against Australia than Australia had against China.
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Australia → say → China
"But it's not impossible, and if China decides to take action, then agricultural exports might be the target," he said.
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he → decide → action
Ventora commissioned testing on imported Chinese windows and AGWA made the results public.
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results → commission → windows
The commission said it did not consider the testing results or other allegations about product quality or compliance in its preliminary findings.
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it → say → findings
Builders raise cost concerns
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Builders → raise → concerns
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia