The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has imposed an anti-dumping duty on aluminum and zinc coated flat products from China PR, Vietnam, and Korea RP to protect the domestic industry.

These flat products are used in solar projects. Solar modules are placed on mounting structures that are made of aluminum and zinc coated flat products.

The duty will be effective for five years from October 15, 2019, the effective date of the previously implemented provisional anti-dumping duty.

It noted that the duty would not be levied for the period between April 15, 2020, the date of lapse of the provisional duty, and June 22, 2020, the day preceding the date of the gazette announcement.

In July 2019, Mercom reported that the Directorate General of Trade Remedies imposed a provisional duty on the imports of aluminum and zinc-coated flat products originating in or exported from China PR, Vietnam, and Korea RP. After examining the submissions made by the parties, DGTR found that there is a significant increase in the imports of subject goods from concerned countries in absolute terms as well as in relation to the production and consumption in India.

The Ministry noted that the duty does not apply to the following products:

In March, the DGTR had recommended the imposition of anti-dumping duty on aluminum and zinc coated flat products from China PR, Vietnam, and Korea RP. It stated that the purpose of anti-dumping duties was to eliminate the material injury caused to the domestic industry by unfair trade practices of dumping from foreign markets.

Background

JSW Steel Coated Products Limited, the domestic industry, had applied to the DGTR, for the imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of aluminum and zinc-coated flat products originating in or exported from China, Vietnam, and Korea.

The authority issued a public notice on April 2, 2019, initiating for an investigation to determine the existence, degree, and effect of the alleged dumping of the products, and to recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty, which if levied, would be adequate to remove the “alleged” injury to the domestic industry.

In July 2019, the DGTR issued its preliminary findings wherein it recommended the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty on the imports of such products originating in or exported from China, Vietnam, and Korea.

At the stage of initiation, the product under consideration was defined as:

Flat-rolled product of steel-plated or coated with an alloy of Aluminum and Zinc. This alloy of Aluminum and Zinc may contain one or more additional elements which, in individual or combination, shall not exceed 3% by weight.

According to DGTR, there were three other producers of the products under consideration in  India; Tata BlueScopeSteel Private Limited, Tata Steel BSL Limited, and Asian Colour Coated Ispat Limited.