DGTR Rejects Industry's Appeal to Re-Impose Safeguard Duties

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in India has rejected pleas from the country’s steel industry to re-impose safeguard duty on imports of various hot rolled coil (HRC) products and sheets.

The safeguard duty, imposed in March 2016, had expired between March and May this year. The steel industry has sought re-imposition of safeguard duty of 25% ad valorem on a wide range of products, so as to curb cross-dumping of products in Indian market by countries such as Indonesia and Russia.

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According to DGTR, the prevailing situation in domestic steel industry is not the same as it was in 2016. Safeguard duty is generally imposed in the event of a sudden, sharp and significant surge in imports. The conditions for such a remedial action do not exist now, DGTR noted. In fact, the data published by the Joint Plant Committee (JPC) indicates that steel imports by the country have actually recorded a decline of 6% during the April-July period of this fiscal when compared with the year before, it added.