The investigation followed a complaint in this regard by JSW JFE Electrical steel Nashik Pvt Ltd to the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).
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The applicant has alleged that the cheap imports of ‘Cold Rolled Grain Oriented Electrical Steel and Amorphous Metal’ is significantly harming the domestic industry.
“On the basis of the duly substantiated written application submitted by the applicant and having reached satisfaction based on the prima facie evidence submitted by the applicant concerning dumping of the product…the authority hereby initiates an anti-dumping investigation,” the DGTR’s notification said.
In the probe, the directorate would determine the existence, degree and effect of the alleged dumping of the chemical exported from China and Japan.
If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to domestic players, the DGTR would recommend the imposition of the levy on imports.The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose these duties.
The principal end-use of the product is for manufacture of power/distribution transformer cores. Both materials are used by the same consumer industries – transformer manufacturers supplying to utilities, industrial users, and renewable power projects.
The product is primarily used as an intermediate in the manufacture of tyre and rubber products and in resin bonding applications. It is also used in the manufacture of specialised wood adhesive resins, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic preparations.
India has also initiated similar probe against imports of sodium nitrite from China; and ‘Para Nonylphenol’ from Russia and Taiwan.
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 the 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.
India and these countries are members of the WTO.
India has already imposed anti-dumping duties on several products to tackle cheap imports from various countries, including China.