Mumbai: The European Union, which portrays itself as the vanguard of free global trade, is the most restrictive in terms of import curbs, while India, China and Argentina were less harsh in initiating anti-dumping probes against trade inflows in the second half of 2006.

"During July-December 2006, the number of initiations reported by India, Argentina and China declined, while those reported by the European Communities, Brazil and Malaysia increased as compared with the corresponding period of 2005," WTO said in its report.

India launched 12 investigations against imports sought to be dumped on it between July and December 2006, while the EU slapped 17 anti-dumping probes against members of the WTO.

India had initiated the largest number of anti-dumping investigations in the corresponding period of 2005, followed by China and Argentina .

While the number of probes initiated by India came down in 2006, the number of probes initiated by the EU has almost doubled from 9 in 2005 to 17 in July-December 2006.

China, with 36 initiations directed at its exports, remained the most frequent target of anti-dumping cases, while India was among the nations that attracted fewer than five initiations against its products, the report said.

China remained the most frequent target of probes, followed by Indonesia, Japan and Korea. The US, on the other hand, initiated less than seven cases and became target of even fewer probes by other countries.

Singapore, Thailand , Argentina, the EU, Russia, South Africa , Australia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia were among the countries facing fewer than five initiations during the second half of 2006, the report said. number (10) of new measures during July-December 2006, followed by China (9), India (8) and the EU (7), WTO said.