Dumping damaging small rubber product-makers: Official

Dumping of rubber products in India has been damaging small manufacturers, a top official of the Rubber Board said on Thursday.

"Excessive import of rubber products, including tyres, often on account of dumping and tariff concessions offered under Free Trade Agreements is a critical issue," said A. Jayathilak, chairperson of the Rubber Board, at the India Rubber Meet 2016, which was held in a coastal resort near here.

She said "such unwarranted competition" had rendered vulnerable the domestic rubber product manufacturing sector, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises.

Jayathilak said global competitiveness was the litmus test for rubber and rubber related industries.

She lamented the lack of technological advancement and low scale of operation for the dwindling competitiveness of the non-tyre rubber products manufacturing sector.

"Consortium approach to counter diseconomies of scale and support for technological improvement through PPP (public-private partnership) mode need to be promoted," she said.

"Global competitiveness has become the litmus test of success and sustainability in today's integrated world for rubber producing, processing, trading and consuming sectors."

India Rubber Meet is an annual event organised by the board in partnership with stakeholder associations in rubber and related sectors to discuss developments in India's rubber industry, which is worth Rs. 85,000 crore approximately according to official statistics.