These duties were thrust following the advice of the commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).

India has thrust antidumping duties on 5 Chinese products, which includes certain aluminium goods and some chemicals, for 5 years to guard local manufacturers from cheap imports from the neighbouring nation. According to separate notifications of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the duties have been thrust on certain flat-rolled products of aluminium; sodium hydrosulphite (used in dye industry); silicone sealant (used in the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules, and thermal power applications); hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) component R-32; and hydrofluorocarbon blends (both have used in refrigeration industry).

These duties were thrust following the advice of the commerce ministry’s investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).

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The DGTR in different probes has excluded that these products have been exported at a price below normal value in the nation’s markets, which has resulted in dumping.

“The domestic industry has suffered material injury due to the dumping”, the DGTR has stated.

“The anti-dumping duty imposed under this notification (on Silicone Sealant ) shall be levied for a period of five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier) from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette and shall be payable in Indian currency,” the CBIC has stated.

The CBIC has even thrust the duty on a vehicle component – Axle for Trailers in CKD/SKD (complete and semi-knocked down) to safeguard domestic makers from cheap imports from China.

Similarly, it has even slapped the duty on imports of calcined gypsum powder from Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 5 years.

While DGTR recommends the duty to be levied, the finance ministry imposes it. Nations initiate anti-dumping probes to check if the domestic industry has been hurt by an increase in below-cost imports. As a countermeasure, they thrust duties under the multilateral regime of WTO.

Measures of anti-dumping are undertaken to make sure of fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. Both India and China are members of the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO).

India has seen to have maximum anti-dumping cases against dumped imports from China. India’s exports to China during the months of April-September 2021 period were worth USD 12.26 billion while imports were estimated at USD 42.33 billion, leaving behind a trade deficit of USD 30.07 billion.