fair practices | Creating a level playing field for domestic industry

These duties are imposed after recommendations for the same were made by the commerce ministry's investigation arm DGTR

PTI New Delhi

India has imposed anti-dumping duty on five Chinese goods, including vacuum flasks and aluminium foil, during the month so far to guard domestic players from cheap imports from the neighbouring country.

These duties were imposed as these products -- Soft Ferrite Cores, certain thickness of vacuum insulated flask, aluminium foil, Trichloro Isocyanuric Acid, and Poly Vinyl Chloride Paste Resin -- were exported to India from China at below normal prices.

In separate notifications, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Department of Revenue, said that the duty imposed "shall be levied for a period of five years" on imports of Soft Ferrite Cores, vacuum insulated flask, and Trichloro Isocyanuric Acid. The anti-dumping duty of up to USD 873 per tonne was imposed provisionally on aluminium foil for six months.

The government has imposed the duty in the range of USD 276 per tonne to USD 986 per tonne on imports of the acid (a water treatment chemical) from China and Japan. On imports of Soft Ferrite Cores (used in electric vehicles, chargers, and telecom devices), up to 35 per cent duty was imposed on CIF (cost, insurance freight) value.

Similarly on vacuum insulated flask, USD 1,732 per tonne anti-dumping duty was levied. The levy, which ranges from USD USD 89 per tonne to USD 707 per tonne, on Poly Vinyl Chloride Paste Resin was slapped on the imports from China, Korea RP, Malaysia, Norway, Taiwan and Thailand for five years.

These duties are imposed after recommendations for the same were made by the commerce ministry's investigation arm DGTR (directorate general of trade remedies). Anti-dumping probes are conducted by countries to determine whether domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

As a countermeasure, they impose these duties under the multilateral regime of Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO). The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters.