India is launching an anti-dumping investigation on imports of polyvinyl chloride paste grades (e-PVC) originating from China, South Korea, Malaysia, Norway, Taiwan and Thailand.

The investigation by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) was initiated by an unnamed Indian producer of e-PVC, which claimed that the domestic industry is suffering from alleged dumped imports from the countries being investigated. This prevented domestic producers from increasing domestic e-PVC prices significantly and recovering margins, with inventories remaining elevated as more competitively priced e-PVC imports emerged.

The MCI will investigate e-PVC imports into India from April 2022 to March 2023, followed by injury examination periods between 1 April 2019 to 30 March 2020, 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 and 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

India currently has 80,000 t/yr of e-PVC production, according to Argus data, with this expected to increase by 40,000 t/yr by the end of this year as a new production line comes on line in November.

Unlike general-purpose PVC grades, which are typically produced via the suspension polymerization process and tend to have more rigid characteristics, e-PVC resin is produced by an emulsion or dispersion polymerization process and contains fluid-like properties.

They are primarily used by flooring and vinyl tile manufacturers, along with the production of artificial leather, coated fabrics, tarpaulins, conveyer belts, toys, automotive sealants, adhesives and gloves. The investigation will exclude PVC blending resin, PVC co-polymer paste resins, battery separator resins and PVC grades with a k-value below 60.

Source: Argus Media