(21) Three producers in the country concerned provided the requested information and agreed to be included in the sample. In view of the low number of replies, the Commission decided that sampling was not necessary. All three producers exported the product under review to the Union during the review investigation period, and are therefore exporting producers. They account for about 80 % of all Thai exports to the Union.
1.7.
Replies to the questionnaire
(22) Copies of the questionnaires were made available on DG Trade’s website when the case was initiated. The Commission sent letters to the three sampled Union producers, to the unrelated importer and to the three exporting producers which provided the required information, requesting them to complete the questionnaire intended for them.
(23) Questionnaire replies were received from the three Union producers and the three cooperating producers in the country concerned.
(24) No questionnaire reply was received from the unrelated importer.
1.8.
Verification
(25) The Commission sought and verified with cooperating parties all the information deemed necessary for the determination of a likelihood of continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury and of the Union interest. Verification visits pursuant to Article 16 of the basic Regulation were carried out at the premises of the following companies:
Union producers
— Bonduelle SA, Renescure, France
— Conserve Italia SCA, San Lazzaro di Savena, Italy
— Groupe d’aucy, Theix, France
Exporting producers in Thailand
— Karn Corn Co. Ltd, Kanchanaburi, Thailand
— River Kwai International Food Industrial Company Limited (‘RKI’), Kanchanaburi, Thailand
— Siam Del Monte Co. Limited, Bangkok, Thailand.
2.
PRODUCT UNDER REVIEW AND LIKE PRODUCT
2.1.
Product under review
(26) The product under review is the same as in the original investigation and previous expiry review namely sweetcorn (
Zea mays var. saccharata
) in kernels, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen, currently falling under CN code ex 2001 90 30 (TARIC code 2001903010), and sweetcorn (
Zea mays var. saccharata
) in kernels prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen, other than products of heading 2006, currently falling under CN code ex 2005 80 00 (TARIC code 2005800010) (‘sweetcorn’) originating in Thailand (‘the product under review’).
(27) The investigation has shown that, despite differences in the preservations, the different types of the product under review all share the same basic biological and chemical characteristics and are used for the same purpose.
2.2.
Like product
(28) As established in the original investigation as well as in the previous expiry review, this expiry review investigation confirmed that the following products have the same basic biological and chemical characteristics as well as the same basic uses:
— the product under review,
— the product produced and sold on the domestic market of Thailand, and
— the product produced and sold in the Union by the Union industry.
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