DGAD gets more time for anti-dumping probe on steel items

The finance ministry has given more time till September 28 to the DGAD to complete the anti- dumping investigations on imports of a certain variety of steel products from China and the European Union (EU).
The commerce ministry's investigation arm - Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) - is probing alleged dumping of 'colour coated /prepainted flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel' from China and the EU.
In an office memorandum to the DGAD, the department of revenue said: "the competent authority has granted extension of time up to 28 September for completing the anti-dumping investigations" and notifying the final findings.

Last year, the directorate started the probe on the basis of sufficient evidence of dumping of these steel items.
In its preliminary findings, the DGAD had stated that imports of these steel products have drastically increased to 213,311 tonnes during the period of investigation (July- December 2015) from 60,771 tonnes in 2012-13.
While DGAD recommends the duty to be levied, the finance ministry imposes it.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to determine if the domestic industry has been hurt by a surge in below-cost imports.
As a counter-measure, they impose duties under the multilateral World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime.
Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry.

Those are not measures to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in cost of products.