Oct 31, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. The World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement body on Friday upheld South Korea's decision to impose antidumping duties on three Indonesian paper companies, the state trade commission said. The Korea Trade Commission has imposed uniform duties of 8.22% on three Indonesian companies for undercutting prices of their wood-free uncoated paper. The paper is used widely for regular and personal computer printing, book publishing and photocopying. The punitive duties went into effect on November 7, 2003 and will be maintained for three years. The Indonesian government did not contest the antidumping ruling, but said it was unfair to levy uniform duties on all three and asked the WTO to review the matter on June 2004. Authorities here said that Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper Corp. was cleared of allegations of undercutting prices but Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills and Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia had manipulated prices. Seoul's trade body said that since all three belonged to the same holding company with personnel exchanges taking place, it was decided to slap all three with punitive tariffs. "If we only slapped tariffs on the offending companies, there was the possibility that they would simply export their papers to South Korea through the unaffected affiliate," said Jung Joon-suk, the standing commissioner at the trade regulatory body. The official said the WTO's ruling announced in Geneva is the first time South Korea has won an antidumping suit in the global body that was filed by another country. The WTO had handled 14 cases involving South Korea, of which Seoul won a total of 10, with the Japan laver restriction case pending. The Indonesian government has 60 days to appeal the case, but Mr. Jung said it is not likely that the ruling will be reversed. South Korea's wood-free paper market amounted to KRW 551.7 billion ($529.6 million) as of 2002, with Indonesian imports accounting for 22.6% of the market. Local manufacturers, including Hansol Paper Co., had lodged a formal complaint in September 2002 claiming that the Indonesian companies unfairly undercut their prices.