India may impose anti-dumping duty of up to USD 300.22 per tonne on imports of a chemical, used in detergent industry, from China, Iran and Qatar to protect domestic players from cheap inbound shipments.

Tamil Nadu Petroproducts and Nirma Ltd have jointly filed an application seeking anti-dumping investigations on imports of 'Linear Alkyl Benzene'.

In its final findings, the Directorate General of Anti- Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), under the ministry, has concluded that there is dumping of the chemical from these three nations.

It has also said that imports from these countries are undercutting and suppressing the prices of the domestic industry and performance of domestic industry has deteriorated in the terms of market share and profitability.

"The authority considers it necessary to recommend ... definitive anti-dumping duty on imports" of the goods from China, Iran and Qatar, it added.

It has recommended anti-dumping duty in the range of USD 23.78 per tonne to USD 300.22 per tonne on the imports.
While DGAD recommends the duty, the Finance Ministry imposes it.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to determine if the domestic industry has been hurt by a surge in below-cost imports. As a counter-measure, they impose duties under the multi-lateral WTO regime.

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. They are not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in cost of products.