New Delhi, Sept. 11: The commerce ministry today sought high anti-dumping duty on the import of a type of telecom equipment from China and Israel that were used for voice and data transmission.

Earlier, the telecom ministry had asked operators not to use Chinese equipment and to entrust network management only with Indian players in the border states.

The directorate general of anti-dumping and allied duties (DGAD) has recommended up to 236 per cent duty on such equipment.

Domestic producers had complained of alleged dumping of “complete SDH equipment… and its parts and components which have a dedicated use for the equipment”.

Indian firms import around Rs 1,000 crore worth of this product annually from China and Israel.

The equipment is used by all telecom companies — mobile, fixed, Internet providers and long-distance operators.

Companies involved in the alleged dumping include Alcatel Lucent Shanghai Bell and Huawei Technologies of China, and ECI Telecom of Israel.

According to the DGAD, the equipment is entering the Indian market at “prices less than their normal values in the domestic markets of the exporting countries”.

The domestic industry has suffered material injury because of the dumping of this product, the DGAD said.

The matter has been referred to the finance ministry.

The recommended anti-dumping duty ranges between 29 per cent and 236 per cent of the cost-insurance-freight value of imports.