China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced Monday that it is to impose temporary anti-dumping measures on food additives imported from Thailand and Indonesia.

The preliminary ruling required importers of disodium 5'-inosinate, disodium 5'-guanylate and disodium 5'-ribonucleotide to place deposits starting Tuesday, said a statement on the MOC website.

The statement said companies from the two countries had dumped the additives on the Chinese market and this had caused substantial damage to the domestic industry.

The statement also listed deposit rates for products imported from the two Indonesian companies of PT. Cheil Jedang Indonesia and PT. Kirin Miwon Foods at 16.9 percent and 8.1 percent respectively, and a 6.5-percent rate for the Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd.

For all the other food additives companies from the two countries, a temporary 29.7 percent deposit rate would be implemented, the statement said, but it gave no details on when a final ruling would come.

The ministry had launched an anti-dumping investigation into imported additives from Indonesia and Thailand in March last year.

The additives are mainly used in monosodium glutamate, soy sauce and other condiments to enhance flavor.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2010)