“Dumping” is an accusation levelled at foreign competitors who are purportedly competing unfairly by supplying masses of its product in the market at prices lower than their production costs. So-called anti-dumping laws are protectionism under a different name.

Determining the costs involved in a product’s manufacture is tedious and inaccurate. Faced with the challenge, most officials rule against the company accused of “dumping”. Dumping claims are an international version of “predatory pricing” - the accusations are easy to make, onerous to disprove, and motivated by anti-competitive instincts.