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OSRAM withdraws application to review import duties

OSRAM announced today that the company has withdrawn its application to extend the period for duties on dumped imports of compact fluorescent lamps (“energy-saving lamps”) from China. “OSRAM is committed to fair competition and free trade in accordance with the regulations of the World Trade Organization,” said OSRAM CEO Martin Goetzeler. “We have had to concede however that we have not been able to secure a majority in Europe for the OSRAM position.” The duties were designed to give those European and Chinese companies that do not engage in dumping a level playing field on the European market; under these conditions the proportion of energy-saving lamps manufactured in Asia and now being sold in Europe has increased since 2001 from 40% to well over 60%. In terms of the volume of production within the EU, OSRAM is by far the largest manufacturer of energy-saving lamps for the EU market.

In October last year, and in response to continued dumping, the EU Commission decided to extend the anti-dumping duties that had been imposed in 2001 for a period of five years by one year.“With our new application to review the duties we wanted to maintain a level playing field for European and Chinese producers who do not engage in dumping.One of the aims was also to give those companies that had reduced their dumping activities since 2001 a chance to pay a lower rate of duty”, said Christian Schraft, Head of the Consumer Lighting Business Unit and therefore responsible for the compact fluorescent lamp business.

OSRAM, the inventor of the energy-saving lamp with integrated electronics, produced two thirds of its energy-saving lamps and associated prematerials destined for the European Union actually in the European Union at its sites in Augsburg and Schwabmünchen in Germany, Bruntal in the Czech Republic, Nove Zamky in Slovakia and Treviso in Italy.Over the next few weeks the company will announce the effects that removing the anti-dumping duties will have on the production of compact fluorescent lamps in Europe.

ABOUT OSRAM
OSRAM is part of the Industry sector of Siemens and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world.Sales in the 2007 fiscal year (to 30.09.2007) totaled 4.7 billion euros, 88 percent of which came from outside Germany.OSRAM is a high-tech company in the lighting sector.Around 60 percent of sales comes from energy-efficient products.This global player employs more than 41,000 people worldwide, supplies customers in some 150 countries and has 48 production facilities in 17 countries.

Press contact:

OSRAM

Reglindis Pfeiffer
Tel: +49-89-6213-2305
Fax: +49-89-6213-3457
Email: reglindis.pfeiffer@osram.de