Domestic industry for continuation of anti-dumping duty on certain steel items from 3 countries; Govt starts probe

The government has started a probe to see whether the expiry of existing anti-dumping duty on certain hot-rolled steel products from China, Malaysia and South Korea would lead to continuation of dumping of the product, following complaints by the domestic industry.

According to a notification of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Ltd and Jindal Stainless Ltd have jointly filed a review petition for continued imposition of the existing anti-dumping duty on the imports of 'Hot Rolled Flat Products of Stainless Steel-304 grade' from China , Malaysia and Korea.

India had imposed the duty in June 2015 for five years.

"Based on the facts and data, the authority is of the opinion that there is a need to review for continued imposition of the duties in force in respect of the subject goods, originating in or exported from China, Malaysia and Korea," DGTR has said in a notification.

The directorate is an arm of the commerce ministry which carries out investigations in case of dumping of goods, significant increase in imports of a product and increase in imports of subsidised items.

If it is established in the probe that the removal of the duty would lead to recurrence or continued dumping of the product, the DGTR would again recommend continuation of duty for more time. The finance ministry takes the final call to impose the duty.

"Having satisfied itself, on the basis of the prima facie evidence submitted by the domestic industry, substantiating the likelihood of continuation/ recurrence of dumping and injury...the authority hereby initiates a sunset review investigation to review the need for continued imposition of the duties in force in respect of the subject goods," it said.

It would examine whether the expiry of such duty is likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and injury to the domestic industry.

The period of investigation for the present investigation is April 2018-March 2019 (12 months) and the injury investigation period is from 2015-18.

India slapped anti-dumping duty of up to USD 309 per tonne on imports from China, while USD 316 per tonne duty has been fixed for Malaysia and USD 180 per tonne for Korea.

These steel products are used for manufacture of process equipment, reactor vessels, material handling equipment, railways, pipes and tubes, automotive components, architecture, building and construction, industrial fabrication and power sector.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to check if domestic industry has been hurt because of a surge in below-cost imports. As a counter-measure, they impose duties under the multilateral WTO regime.