The government is planning to make permanent the provisional anti-dumping duties currently imposed on 124 steel product lines including over 100 items of HR and CR coil among 173 on which minimum import price (MIP) was imposed in February last year, aimed at protecting domestic steelmakers long-term cover from the onslaught of predatory imports.
Sources said the existing provisional duties would be further extended on provisional basis only for another two months for proper investigation and then, the WTO-compatible trade remedial measures would be imposed for five years on these items.
The government had in February last year imposed minimum import price (MIP) for six months on 173 products in the range of USD 341-752/MT in the face of rising imports that were hurting the domestic industry hard.
However, in August it brought down the number to 66 and extended the MIP term for another two months. In the same month, it imposed provisional anti-dumping duty on both HR and CR coils. In October, it extended the MIP cover on these items for another two months, but in December, the number of products under MIP was reduced to 19 and extended the cover for two more months. Now, it has withdrawn MIP on these products as well.
Meanwhile, in November, provisional anti-dumping duty was imposed on wire rod of alloy and non-alloy steel and again in January, anti-dumping duty was imposed on colour-coated sheets originating from China and European Union.
“The notification on the extension of the provision anti-dumping duties imposed in August on 106 HR and CR coil products would come soon as the period is ending later this week. Permanent anti-dumping duty on 2 colour coated products and 16 wire rod products would come as per schedule,” said the source.
The source said there was no need to cover 30 line of long products and 19 coated products, among those were covered under MIP, as imports of these items have been minimal.
The extension of the provisional anti-dumping duty on 106 items is warranted as investigation on these items is still pending.
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