27.1.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 22/25 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 175/2000 of 24 January 2000 reimposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of leather handbags originating in the People's Republic of China and sold for export to the Community by certain exporting producers and amending Regulation (EC) No 1567/97 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 384/96 of 22 December 1995 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (!), and in particular Article 11 (4) thereof, Having regard to the proposal submitted by the Commission after consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PREVIOUS PROCEDURE By Regulation (EC) No 1567/97 (%) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the definitive Regulation’), the Council imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty of 38 % on imports of leather handbags originating in the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as ‘the PRC’) with the exception of imports from several exporting producers for which the Council imposed individual duty rates. B. PRESENT PROCEDURE The Commission subsequently received five applications to initiate a ‘new exporter’ review of the definitive Regu- lation, pursuant to Article 11 (4) of Regulation (EC) No 384/96 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Basic Regulation’). These applications were lodged by Gainth Industrial Ltd, Macia Company Ltd, Yen Sheng Factory Ltd, Dongguan All Be Right Leathern Products Co. Ltd and Panyu Simone Handbag Ltd (hereinafter referred to as ‘the applicants’). The applicants claimed that they met the conditions for individual treatment, that they were not related to any of the exporting producers subject to the existing measures with regard to the product concerned, that they had not exported the product concerned to the Community during the period of investigation on which the anti-dumping measures were based, i.e. the period from 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the original investigation period’), but that they had exported the product concerned to the Community subsequently. (") OJ L 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 905/98 (O] L 128, 30.4.1998, p. 18). () O] L 208, 2.8.1997, (EC) No 2380/98 (O] L 296, 5.11.1998, p. 1). p. 31. Regulation as amended by Regulation () The Commission examined the evidence submitted by the applicants, and considered it sufficient to justify the initiation of a review pursuant to Article 11(4) of the Basic Regulation. After consultation of the Advisory Committee and after the Community industry concerned had been given the opportunity to comment, the Commission initiated, by Regulation (EC) No 152/ 1999 (), a review of the definitive Regulation with regard to the five applicants and commenced its invest- igation. The Regulation initiating the review also repealed the anti-dumping duty imposed by the definitive Regulation with regard to imports of the product concerned, produced and exported to the Community by the appli- cants, and directed customs authorities, pursuant to Article 14(5) of the Basic Regulation, to take appropriate steps to register such imports. The product concerned by the review was the same product as that described in Article 1 (2) of the definitive Regulation, namely, bags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle, with outer surface of leather, of composition leather or patent leather, designed primarily to contain small objects for personal use, such as keys, purses, make-up and cigarettes, regardless of their size and form. The Commission officially advised the authorities of the exporting country. Furthermore, it gave the parties directly concerned the opportunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing. The Commission sent questionnaires to the applicants. All five applicants submitted replies to the questionnaire and two of them also requested market economy status. In the course of the investigation, Dongguan All Be Right Leathern Products Co. Ltd abandoned its applica- tion for a ‘new exporter review. Consequently, subse- quent to on-the-spot verifications relating to market economy status, no on-the-spot verification relating to ‘new exporter’ status and export prices was carried out at its premises. The Commission sought and verified all information it deemed necessary for the purposes of its investigation and carried out on-the-spot verifications at the premises of the following companies: () O] L 18, 23.1.1999, p. 10.