India proposes anti-dumping duties on met coke imports from six countries

DGTR flags heavy dumping from Australia, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia, citing losses and shutdowns for domestic producers

India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has provisionally recommended imposing anti-dumping duties on imports of low ash metallurgical coke (LAM Coke) from Australia, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia, citing significant dumping and injury to domestic producers.

 

The body concluded that LAM Coke with ash content below 18 per cent, excluding specified ultra-low phosphorus grades, is being dumped into India at prices that undercut domestic producers, depress market prices and prevent necessary price increases.

 

It noted that imports from the six countries have increased in both absolute and relative terms.

 

DGTR found that domestic producers suffered declines in production and capacity utilisation despite rising demand. The domestic industry sold at losses, recorded significant financial and cash losses, and saw its return on capital employed turn negative. Inventories rose even as producers reduced output, and the authority observed that several producers were forced to shut down due to extensive dumping.

 

To offset it, DGTR recommended provisional anti-dumping duties equal to the lesser of the dumping margin and the injury margin, applied per metric tonne.

 

The duty table lists $73.55/MT for Australia, USD 130.66/MT for China, USD 119.51/MT for Colombia, USD 82.75/MT for Indonesia, USD 60.87/MT for Japan, and USD 85.12/MT for Russia.

 

The authority also rejected multiple requests for product exclusions after noting that the domestic industry has produced and sold the like articles for all grades for which exclusion was sought.

 

DGTR has invited comments on the preliminary findings within 15 days of publication and will hold an oral hearing, the date of which will be published on its official website, before finalising its recommendation.