THE US is back-tracking on its landmark decision on anti-dumping - awarded in favour of Hongkong last November after a time-consuming and costly battle backed by the Government - by launching a surprise second round of investigations.
In what was hailed as a major victory for Hongkong last November, US agency the International Trade Commission (ITC) reversed its earlier ruling that the territory had hurt American sweater manufacturers by dumping cut-rate products in the US.
It was hoped that ruling would clear the way for an end to the bitter three-year dispute which led to anti-dumping tariffs against Hongkong and other Asian sweater exporters.
Now it is understood America plans to continue its investigations, and that a second round of questionnaires covering the period from September 1991 to August 1992 will go out to the eight local sweater exporters caught up in the row.
Textile Council executive director Kenneth Yeung Ting-ho said: ''The court has ruled that the whole action is not justified, so why should there be an annual review of the action? ''They should be withdrawing it, or cancelling it, or terminating it.
''From our point of view this should be stopped, because there has been a court ruling.'' He said the picture was muddied by an appeal which still hung over the final decision, but that until this was decided upon a course of normal action should be pursued.
Initially questionnaires went out to the three exporters named by the US authorities - Comitex Knitters, Shanghai Knitwear and Wing Ho Knitwear - along with three unnamed firms, plus Hayward Knitters and LaMagma, which volunteered.