Plastic industry seeks hike in customs duty to curb cheap imports

Urges review of FTAs as exports plunge 11% in October; wants minimum 10% gap between duty on raw material and on finished goods

Faced with a sharp decline in exports and an erosion in domestic offtake brought on by a spurt in imports, India’s plastic manufacturers have urged the government to increase customs duty, levy anti-dumping duty and review foreign trade agreements (FTAs) to restrict supply of cheap and poor-quality products from overseas markets.

Plastic producers under the aegis of the All-India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) met with other players in the value chain to discuss steps needed for the revival of the domestic industry. AIPMA, which represents some 22,000 makers of plastic and allied products, highlighted the need to bring the industry