1.10.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 305/25 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1699/2004 of 30 September 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 275/2004 as regards registration of imports of steel ropes and cables produced by one Moroccan exporting producer THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 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 (the basic Regulation) ('), and in particular Articles 13 and 14 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: A. PROCEDURE (1) The Council, by its Regulation (EC) No 1796/1999 (3), imposed in August 1999 an anti-dumping duty of 60,4 % on imports of steel ropes and cables (steel wire ropes or SWR) originating, inter alia, in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). 2 On 5 January 2004, the Commission received a request, pursuant to Article 13(3) of the basic Regulation, from the European Federation of Wire Rope Industries (EWRIS) to investigate the alleged circumvention of the anti-dumping measures imposed on imports of steel ropes and cables originating in the PRC. According to the request, the circumvention practice consisted of transhipment of SWR originating in the PRC via Morocco to the Community. This request was submitted on behalf of producers representing a major proportion of the Community production of SWR and contained sufficient prima facie evidence regarding the factors set out in Article 13(1) of the basic Regulation. (3)  The Commission initiated an investigation into the alleged circumvention by Regulation (EC) No 275/2004 (%) (the initiating Regulation). (*) OJ L 56, 6.3.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 461/2004 (OJ L 77, 13.3.2004, p. 12). (®» OJ L 217, 17.8.1999, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EQ) No 1674/2003 (O] L 238, 25.9.2003, p. 1). () O] L 47, 18.2.2004, p. 13. 4 Pursuant to Articles 13(3) and 14(5) of the basic Regu- lation, Article 2 of the initiating Regulation instructed the customs authorities to register imports of SWR consigned from Morocco, whether declared as originating in Morocco or not, as of 19 February 2004. Article 2 of the initiating Regulation also provided that the Commission, by Regulation, may direct customs authorities to cease registration in respect of imports into the Community of products manufactured by producers having applied for an exemption of regis- tration and having been found not to be circumventing the anti-dumping duties. B. REQUESTS FOR EXEMPTION Within the deadlines laid down in Article 3 of the initiating Regulation, the Commission received a request for exemption from the registration and measures from one exporting producer, Remer Maroc SARL, Settat, Morocco (the applicant). C. INVESTIGATION PERIOD The investigation period covered the period from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 (the IP). Data were collected from 1999 up to the end of the IP to investigate the alleged change in the pattern of trade. D. FINDINGS IN RESPECT OF REMER MAROC SARL The applicant replied to the questionnaire sent by the Commission in the course of the investigation. The Commission carried out a verification visit at the company’s premises in Morocco. The applicant was set up in 2001 as a fully-owned subsidiary of the Italian company Remer Italia. During the IP, the applicant, exported only a very small quantity of the product concerned to the Community, repre- senting less than 5% of the total imports of SWR from Morocco in the same period. From the time the company was established, in 2001, the majority of its sales have been destined to the local Moroccan market.