India may impose anti-dumping duty on Phthalic Anhydride imported from China, Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand, based on an application filed by IG Petrochemicals Limited, SI Group India Private Limited and Thirumalai Chemicals. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies under the commerce and industry ministry, has recommended duty between $40.08- 140.17 per MT on the imports of the chemical intermediate used in the plastic industry.

“The domestic industry has suffered material injury. There is a causal link between dumping of product under consideration and injury to the domestic industry,” DGTR said in a notification.

While DGTR recommends the duty, the final call to impose it is taken by the finance ministry.

It said that factors such as no quantification of adverse impact of duties by the interested parties, significant capacity expansions in the country which will ensure no demand and supply gap, inter-se competition between Indian producers, and absence of any evidence of adverse impact of anti-dumping duties imposed in the past on the subject goods reasonably demonstrates that imposition of duties will not be against public interest.

“The Authority thus concludes that the anti-dumping duties will not be against the public interest at large,” DGTR said, adding that imposition of duties will be in the interest of the domestic industry which has suffered injury due to dumped imports.

The duties will ensure that domestic industry can compete in the market and will ensure wider availability of options to the users which will be in large public interest, according to the notification.

Source : PTI