The Indian government has initiated an anti-dumping investigation on import of clear float glass from Bangladesh following alleged dumping of the product to the country.

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies of the Indian commerce and industry ministry on June 30 initiated the investigation after a number of Indian manufacturers requested the DGTR to conduct an investigation and to impose the antidumping duty on import of the product from Bangladesh and Thailand.

The manufacturers, including Asahi India Glass Ltd, Gold Plus Glass Industry Limited, Sisecam Flat Glass India Private Limited and Saint-Gobain India (Pvt), alleged that the product was being imported to the Indian market at dumped prices and imports from both the countries increased substantially in 2020.

The applicants also alleged that material injury to the Indian domestic industry was being caused due to the dumped imports of clear float glass of nominal thickness ranging from 4mm to 12mm from the countries.
 
The DGTR has initiated the investigation to determine the existence, degree and effect of any alleged dumping of the product.

It will recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty (ADD), which if levied, would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic country, it said in a notice.

The period of investigation has been set from January 2020 to December 2020 and the injury investigation period will cover the period from April 2017 to December 2020, the notice stated.

Dumping occurs when a company exports a product to any country at prices lower than the normal value (the domestic price or the cost of production) of the product on its domestic market.

The importing country then can impose ADD to protect its local industry if it finds proof of dumping which injures the local industry.

The DGTR has also requested three exporters from Bangladesh and two exporters from Thailand to submit information related to the investigation to the authorities within 30 days from the date of receipt of the notice.

The applicants mentioned the name of three producers and exporters of Bangladesh in their application.

The exporters include PHP Float Glass Industries, Usmania Glass Sheet Factory Limited and Nasir Float Glass Industries Limited.

Clear float glass, a type of superior quality of glass, is usually used in construction, refrigeration, mirror and solar energy industries.

The use of the product has increased for many other different purposes due to its inherent strength, high optical clarity and distortion free smooth surface.

India imported a total of 26,442 tonnes of clear float glass worth $3.18 million in 2020 and the volume of import accounts for 2.11 per cent of India’s total import of the product.

India has so far imposed anti-dumping duty on import of hydrogen peroxide, jute goods and fishing net from Bangladesh.

Source: New Age BD