New Delhi: The Union Commerce Ministry’s investigation arm DGTR has recommended the imposition of anti-dumping duty on newsprint, used in the printing of newspapers, from six countries for five years. Among the countries are Australia and Canada. This recommendation has come to guard domestic manufacturers from cheap imports. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the duty. It did so after concluding its probe that imports of ‘newsprint in rolls or sheets, excluding glazed newsprint’ from these countries have been exported at dumped prices into India. The exports have impacted the domestic industry.
“The authority accordingly recommends imposition of anti-dumping duty…On all imports of goods…Originating in or exported from Canada, EU, Russia, Singapore, Australia and UAE for a period of five years,” the DGTR has said in a notification.
The duty suggested is in the range of USD 5.15 per tonne and USD 98.6 per tonne. The finance ministry takes the final call to impose these duties.
“The authority is of the view that imposition of anti-dumping duty is necessary to offset dumping and injury,” the DGTR added.
The DGTR conducted the probe following a complaint by an industry association.
The directorate is an investigation arm of the commerce ministry, which probes dumping of goods, a significant increase in imports and subsidised imports from India’s trade partners. The countries mentioned in the DGTR list are important trading partners of India.
Countries carry out anti-dumping probes to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports. As a countermeasure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of the WTO (World Trade Organisation). The duty is to ensure fair trade practices and create a level-playing field for domestic producers concerning foreign producers and exporters.
