The General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council announced on November 2, 2026 that it has opened an anti‑dumping investigation into imports of uncoated writing, printing and graphic paper from India, China and Thailand, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency.
The decision was made by the Permanent Committee on Anti‑Harmful Practices in International Trade, the body that oversees trade‑practice enforcement across GCC member states.
Under the probe, the targeted goods are uncoated paper used for writing, printing or graphic purposes, sold in rolls or rectangular (including square) sheets, originating from or exported to the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Thailand.
The move follows a preliminary report generated by the Technical Secretariat of Anti‑Harmful Practices in International Trade, which operates beneath the GCC General Secretariat.
The initiation notice, which fully outlines the product under investigation and the procedural steps, was published in the technical secretariat’s official bulletin, Issue No. 59, dated November 2, 2026, and is available on the GCC General Secretariat’s website.
Director General of the Technical Secretariat Mahfoudh Al‑Raqadi explained that the measures are being taken under the GCC Common Law on Anti‑Dumping, Countervailing Measures and Safeguards together with its implementing regulations, and in accordance with the World Trade Organization’s Anti‑Dumping Agreement.
Al‑Raqadi said the investigation provides all interested parties the opportunity to defend their interests at every stage of the process.
"Announcing the investigation gives all interested parties the opportunity to defend their interests at every stage," said Al‑Raqadi.
The probe aims to determine whether the imported paper is being sold below fair value and whether such dumping is harming GCC exporters or consumers, guiding any potential duties or counter‑measures that the GCC may impose.
In the GCC, paper remains a staple commodity for both commercial and educational sectors, and imports from Asia constitute a substantial share of total consumption, making the investigation economically significant for the bloc’s trade balance.
According to the technical secretariat’s forthcoming schedule, the investigation will include a formal notice of intent, a filing period for affected parties, written submissions, possible on‑site investigations and a final decision period, all of which will be conducted under the same timelines as WTO‑mandated anti‑dumping procedures.
Ultimately, the remaining uncertainties are that the likelihood of any trade remedies, the level of duties if any, and the time frame for the final decision are still unknown and have yet to be disclosed by the GCC authorities.
