Statement of intent from the Anti-Dumping Commission

Dear Minister

Thank you for your Statement of Expectations issued on 18 September 2025 and published on 3 October 2025.

I am pleased to present you with the Anti-Dumping Commission’s Statement of Intent, which outlines how we are responding to the priorities you have identified.

The guiding theme of both your Statement and this response is the shared goal of securing a level playing field for Australian industry, so that local manufacturers across the supply chain are not injured by unfair international trade practices.

As you have emphasised, this is a pivotal time for the Commission and the trade remedies system, with significant change occurring both in Australia and globally. 

An optimised anti-dumping system can deliver significant productivity gains by ensuring a level playing field for industry. Strong investment in local manufacturing – including through major initiatives such as Future Made in Australia and the National Reconstruction Fund – and high productivity in Australia are best supported by fair, competitive and predictable markets, free from dumped or subsidised goods that distort trade, undermine local investment and threaten local jobs. The Commission is committed to securing and maintaining such a market environment. We will act swiftly and decisively where unfair international trade practices cause injury to local industry.

In response to your performance expectations, the Commission will focus on:

• adapting to the strategic context by fulfilling an enhanced role in trade remedies
• operating as an agile, fit-for-purpose organisation and a best practice regulator, in line with the Government’s principles for regulatory policy, practice and performance
• delivering effective, timely and accessible trade remedies
• engaging proactively with industry and other stakeholders across the trade remedies system, including through education and outreach to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
• supporting ongoing reform of the trade remedies framework, including by engaging with our international counterparts, and by identifying opportunities to reduce regulatory and administrative burden.

The Commission will continue to perform our functions in accordance with our legislative mandate and Australia’s international obligations, and in close collaboration with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR).

The Government has recently established a policy objective for Commonwealth regulators to better balance risk mitigation with efficiency, growth and dynamism. This Statement also reflects that objective, as set out in 2025 guidance from the Department of Finance.

Through regular meetings and briefings during the year, I will ensure you are informed of progress in delivering on each element of the SoE, including regulatory reform. I will provide you with accurate and timely information on emerging global trade issues, including sector specific developments, and the actions the Commission is taking to address unfair trade practices affecting Australian industry.

The strategic environment

An enhanced role for the Commission

I welcome the Government’s commitment to strengthening Australia’s trade remedies system, including with the provision of $5 million in additional funding for the Commission in 2025-26. A crucial step for national productivity, this investment directly supports our efforts to ensure a level playing field for Australia’s strategic and critical minerals producers, vital copper, steel and aluminium smelters, and a diverse range of value-added fabrication industries.

I have been deploying these additional resources to:

• strengthen the Commission’s capabilities and operational capacity
• improve efficiency, timeliness and transparency across our investigations and decision-making processes
• deliver positive outcomes for industry, particularly for SMEs navigating the complex trade remedies system.

I also acknowledge your announcement that responsibility for safeguard actions will transfer from the Productivity Commission to the Anti-Dumping Commission, consolidating all trade remedy functions within a single agency. This reform will streamline processes and improve the effectiveness of Australia’s trade defence mechanisms. To support a smooth transition, I have already initiated collaboration with relevant domestic agencies, commenced building our capabilities, and engaged with international counterparts to draw on their experiences and international best practice.

Supporting further reform of the trade remedies system

The Commission is a committed partner in the ongoing enhancement of Australia’s trade remedies system and legislative framework as established by the Customs Act 1901 and other relevant legislation. We stand ready to contribute to future reforms and to support their implementation, including through the provision of data, insights and operational expertise. Our focus will remain on ensuring the system is effective, transparent, fit-for-purpose and responsive to the needs of Australian industry.

Effective, timely and accessible remedies 

Consistent with your Statement of Expectations, the Commission will prioritise effective remedies for Australian manufacturers and producers affected by unfair international trade practices. Where appropriate, this includes the use of Preliminary Affirmative Determinations (PADs). I will maintain the Commission’s focus on issuing PADs where sufficient grounds exist, ensuring that Australian industries are not exposed to injury while investigations are ongoing. As you are aware, after several years during which no PADs were introduced, the Commission has introduced four PADs since March 2025 to ensure that local manufacturing businesses impacted by dumping are shielded from injury through interim measures while the full investigation is proceeding.

The Commission acknowledges the need to strengthen its approach and capabilities to meet your expectations, particularly in relation to case durations and accessibility, while upholding the integrity of our robust, evidence-based analysis. The Commission is taking concrete steps to increase timeliness and accessibility, including streamlined triaging and management of cases, enhanced governance processes and risk-based verifications. In addition,

• We have launched a pre-application service to support Australian businesses, and particularly SMEs, by providing upfront guidance on applications to deliver smoother, more accessible and more efficient investigations.
• Where warranted, the Commission will continue to prioritise PADs, which protect Australian industry from injury, to ensure timely and effective remedies are in place during investigations.
• Internal reviews are underway to improve operational streamlining, reduce complexity and improve clarity, to reduce investigation timelines.
• The Commission is engaging with SME stakeholders including manufacturers, unions and industry associations, to raise awareness, improve accessibility, strengthen market insights and provide up-to-date guidance and education material.
• In collaboration with DISR, Austrade, the ABF, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and DFAT, the Commission is enhancing its monitoring of global trade data to identify risks of trade diversion, strengthen compliance and address circumvention of anti-dumping measures, as part of an early warning system.

In support of these actions, I have initiated a comprehensive program of operational performance improvements, outlined below, which will have a meaningful impact on case timelines and workload capacity. 

In parallel, the Commission is implementing a more dynamic and transparent public performance reporting regime, designed to drive continuous improvement and provide better visibility of our progress in reducing case lengths.

Best practice regulator 

You have set an ambitious and forward-looking agenda for the Commission. To deliver on this agenda, the Commission must be agile, responsive and fit for purpose. Guided by your expectation that I lead a best practice regulator and a globally respected trade remedies authority, I will ensure the Commission achieves this through a steadfast commitment to integrity, transparency, and continuous improvement in the Commission’s operational performance.

I recognise that better regulation is a key driver for the Government’s economic reform agenda. All regulators need to continue to manage risks while supporting efficiency, growth and dynamism, in line with the Government’s commitments to enhance national productivity.

The Commission’s continuous improvement efforts will focus on five pillars:

1. Regulatory excellence

• We are enhancing our investigations model by strengthening case management planning, refining our triage processes, optimising verification procedures, and embedding robust quality assurance and governance frameworks. We will adopt a proportionate, risk-based approach to our regulatory actions, while not compromising core regulatory principles.
• We will drive continuous improvement, including by capturing improvements identified through merits and judicial review, to inform improved investigative processes and practices and to maintain the integrity of trade remedies decisions

2. Organisational capability 

• We will build a high-performing organisation through streamlined processes, modernised business systems and the adoption of new digital technologies to improve efficiency and effectiveness, with appropriate management of risks.

3. Safeguards integration

• We will successfully integrate the safeguards function into the Commission, to be operationalised once the necessary legislative reforms are enacted, focusing on seamless operational alignment and capability uplift.

4. Culture and values 

• We are fostering a united organisational culture that prioritises trust, psychological safety and a mindset of continuous improvement.

5. Collaboration and strategic engagement

• We will engage with our peer regulators to identify and implement best practice approaches, with a view to proactively reducing regulatory and administrative burden.
• We will strengthen collaboration with other agencies on emerging global trade remedies issues.
• We will engage strategically with industry and government stakeholders to ensure our work remains relevant, responsive and impactful. 

Engagement across the anti-dumping system

Industry engagement and SME access

Close and consistent engagement with industry is essential to ensuring manufacturers and producers can access the trade remedies system in a timely and effective manner. It also enables the Commission to gather the information we need to fulfil our functions and drive continuous improvement.

In line with your expectations, I will ensure the Commission continues to prioritise stakeholder engagement as a core function.

The International Trade Remedies Forum (ITRF) is central to our industry engagement efforts. As the presiding member, I will convene ITRF meetings at least twice per calendar year and provide you with regular briefings on key issues raised by members, particularly those concerning the effectiveness of the trade remedies system.

Since my appointment, I have actively engaged with stakeholders across Australia, including manufacturers, industry associations and unions. As a key priority, I will expand the Commission’s stakeholder engagement program to include:

• Greater outreach to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Engagement with downstream industry sectors and stakeholders unfamiliar with the Commission’s work. 

To support SME access to the trade remedies system, the Commission will collaborate closely with the International Trade Remedies Advisory Service.

To improve understanding of the Commission’s role and how it can assist stakeholders, I will expand the public availability of information on Commission decisions. This will include the sharing of market intelligence and insights to promote awareness, accessibility, and purpose-driven collaboration.

I am leading the development of a robust market intelligence and data capability tool in partnership with DISR, to monitor and analyse industry trends and risks. In some cases, this capability will allow the Commission to identify potential injury to Australian industry before it occurs.

Finally, I will work with ITRF members, industry associations, businesses and unions to ensure the Commission’s materials are accessible, relevant and tailored to a broader range of stakeholders.

Engagement with agencies across the trade remedies system 

In line with your expectations, I will ensure the Commission maintains strong engagement and coordination with DISR, including leveraging its international networks. I will also deepen relationships with other key Australian government agencies, including the Australian Border Force (ABF), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Austrade and the Office of National Intelligence (ONI).

Where appropriate, the Commission will share data and insights with these agencies to support a shared understanding of developments in international trade and their effects on Australian industry.

I will continue the Commission’s close collaboration with DFAT in representing and defending Australia’s interests in international fora. I will also build on our strong partnership with the ABF, which plays a front-line role in enforcement within the trade remedies system. This cooperation is critical to addressing industry concerns about the potential evasion or circumvention of Australia’s anti-dumping and countervailing measures.

To strengthen the Commission’s understanding of the geostrategic and global security context, I will increase engagement with ONI, ensuring our regulatory decisions are informed by broader strategic insights. 

International engagement

I will deepen the Commission’s engagement with international counterparts to strengthen collaboration on shared objectives, facilitate the exchange of market intelligence, and promote international best practice in trade remedies administration. These relationships are critical to ensuring the Commission remains globally connected, informed and aligned with evolving regulatory standards and approaches.

Implementation of this Statement of Intent

Your Statement of Expectations, together with this Statement of Intent, will govern the Commission’s work program.

I will regularly assess and analyse the Commission’s progress against this Statement, the performance measures established in the department’s Annual Report, and best practice regulatory principles established by the Department of Finance.

I will continue to work closely with the Secretary of DISR to ensure appropriate operational resourcing for the Commission to enable your Statement of Expectations to be delivered. The transfer of the Safeguards function and any other legislative reforms to the trade remedies system will also have resourcing implications.

I look forward to continuing to meet with you and your office regularly to provide updates on emerging issues and to report on the Commission’s progress in delivering against our shared objectives. This reporting will also encompass tangible and achievable actions that deliver on the whole-of-government goal of better balancing regulatory risk mitigation with efficiency, growth and dynamism.

I greatly value your continued support for the Commission’s mission to provide an effective, timely and accessible trade remedies system for Australia.

Yours sincerely

David Latina

Commissioner

Anti-Dumping Commission