India has recently initiated a series of anti-dumping investigations targeting imports from China and other countries, responding to complaints from domestic manufacturers about unfair trade practices. The investigations aim to determine if these imports are being dumped into the Indian market, causing material injury to local industries.
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), the arm of the Commerce Ministry responsible for such investigations, has launched probes into three specific categories of goods originating from China: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) films, kitchen glassware, and nylon.
PET Films
The DGTR has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) films originating from Bangladesh, China, Thailand, and the United States. This action follows an application filed by Chiripal Poly Films, Ester Industries, and Vacmet India, who allege that the dumping of PET films is negatively impacting the domestic industry. PET Film is a clear, flexible material produced from PET polymer. The investigation aims to determine the existence, degree, and effect of the alleged dumping.
India had previously imposed an anti-dumping duty on PET resin imports from China in March 2021 for five years. In November 2024, the duty on PET bottle-grade resin imports from Wankai New Materials Co. Ltd, a major Chinese supplier, was sharply revised to $40.41/ton, up from $15.54/ton. This revision followed an investigation that revealed Wankai was dumping PET resin into India at significantly below domestic market rates, harming local manufacturers.
Kitchen Glassware
Borosil Ltd. has filed an application seeking an investigation into the imports of Borosilicate Table and Kitchen Glassware from China. The company claims that the dumping of these goods is causing injury to the domestic industry. The DGTR will investigate these claims to determine if anti-dumping duties are warranted.
Nylon
Gujarat State Fertilisers and Chemicals has filed an application for an investigation into the alleged dumping of "Nylon 6" from China, Russia, Taiwan, and Thailand. The DGTR will investigate to determine the existence, degree, and effect of the alleged dumping.
In December 2024, the DGTR initiated an anti-dumping investigation on nylon filament yarn originating in or imported from China and Vietnam. The product under investigation is nylon filament yarn, classified under specific HS codes. The petitioners in this case are Century Enka Private Limited, Gujarat Polyfilms Private Limited, and Oriilon India Private Limited. The investigation period for dumping was from April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
Process and Implications
The DGTR has initiated investigations into imports of all these goods to determine the existence, degree, and effect of the dumping. If it is established that dumping has caused material injury to domestic players, the DGTR would recommend the imposition of a levy on imports of these items. The Finance Ministry takes the final decision to impose duties.
Anti-dumping probes are conducted by countries to determine whether domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports. As a countermeasure, they impose these duties under the multilateral regime of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. India and China are members of the WTO.
These investigations reflect India's commitment to scrutinizing imports and protecting its domestic industries from unfair trade practices. In addition to the probes mentioned above, the DGTR has also initiated investigations into mobile phone covers, solar cell encapsulants, rubber chemicals, and acids from China, as well as clear float glass from Malaysia and Indonesia, and solar encapsulants from South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
