India imposes anti-dumping duty on water treatment chemical from China, Japan

New Delhi: India has imposed an anti-dumping duty of up to USD 986 per tonne on the import of 'Trichloro isocyanuric acid,' a chemical used in water treatment, from China and Japan for a period of five years. The move aims to protect the domestic industry from cheap inbound shipments, as per a notification issued by the finance ministry.

The decision comes after the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), the investigative arm of the commerce ministry, recommended the imposition of the duty. In its findings, the DGTR concluded that dumped imports from China and Japan had caused material injury to the domestic industry. Following this recommendation, the finance ministry finalized the imposition of the duty, which will remain in effect unless revoked, superseded, or amended earlier.

China and Japan are both key trading partners of India. While the DGTR is responsible for conducting investigations into alleged dumping and making recommendations, the finance ministry makes the final decision on imposing duties, typically within three months of receiving the recommendation.

Anti-dumping investigations are undertaken to determine whether domestic industries have suffered due to an influx of below-cost imports. As a corrective measure, duties are imposed under the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to maintain fair trade practices and provide a level playing field for local manufacturers. These measures are not intended to restrict imports or cause an unwarranted rise in product costs but rather to ensure that fair competition prevails in the market.

With PTI inputs