India, USA and Brazil imposed the Trade Remedial Measures (TRMs) on Bangladeshi products -- lead acid battery, terry towel and sacks and bags of jute respectively to restrict their exports by applying WTO rules, according to Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) assessment revealed yesterday.

The country, however, did not face either of the two other TRMs, countervailing or safeguard measures, so far against any product.

Antidumping and countervailing measures can be enforced when foreign products are dumped, marketing at a price less than production cost, or subsidised and their import causes or threatens to cause "material injury" to domestic industry.

Safeguard measures can be invoked when increased imports threaten to cause or actually cause "serious injury" to a domestic industry.

"More and more countries are now taking recourse to the measures to protect their domestic industry," BTC Chairman Kazi Humayun Azad Box told a seminar at the BTC conference room yesterday, calling upon businesses in the country to prepare for facing the threat of TRMs.

He cautioned that the incidence of TRMs would increase in the quota-free trade regime when, experts predict, domestic industries would suffer stiff competition from a huge inflow of imported products.

The BTC organised the seminar on "Unwarranted Trade Remedial Measures in Importing Countries: New Threat to Bangladeshi Export" aiming to make business community aware about the threat of TRMs looming closer with the passing of the year.

Commerce Secretary Mohammed Aminur Rahman also spoke on the occasion, stressing the need for preparation to face the TRM challenges.

The seminar was told that 1,511 antidumping measures (ADMs) had so far been imposed worldwide. India, USA, EU, Argentina and South Africa are top five to court the curbs by way of slapping ADMs.

The top five target sectors of ADMs were base metals and articles of base metals, chemical products, plastic and rubber articles, machinery and mechanical appliances and electrical equipment, and textile and textile articles.

Meanwhile, the total number of countervailing measures (CVMs), as of December 31, 2003, stood at 100.

The top four target sectors of CVMs were base metals and articles of base metals, prepared foodstuff, beverages, spirits and vinegar, tobacco, vegetable products and plastic and rubber articles.

The total number of safeguard measures was 62, as of December 31, 2003.