Posted on 23 Dec 2024
India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has initiated a safeguard investigation on imports of non-alloy and alloy flat steel products, Kallanish reads in the 19 December commerce ministry gazette.
DGTR is the Indian commerce ministry’s trade investigation body.
The product under consideration (PUC) for the present investigation includes hot rolled coil, sheet and plate, HR plate mill plate, cold rolled coil and sheet. It also includes metallic coated steel coil and sheet, whether or not profiled, including galvanneal, coated with zinc or aluminium-zinc or zinc-aluminium-magnesium, and colour-coated coil and sheet. The HS code headings under investigation are 7208, 7209, 7210, 7211, 7212, 7225 and 7226.
Products which are excluded from the PUC are cold rolled grain oriented electrical steel (CRGO), cold rolled non-oriented electrical steel (CRNO) coil and sheet, coated-electro galvanized steel, tinplate and stainless steel.
The Indian Steel Association (ISA) filed the application for the investigation on behalf of its members which include ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS) India, AMNS Khopoli, JSW Steel, JSW Steel Coated Products, Bhushan Power & Steel Limited (BPSL), Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) and Steel Authority of India (SAIL).
Earlier last week, Indian commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal said the DGTR is looking into investigating hot rolled and cold rolled coil imports and also seeking consultation from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) before it makes any recommendations (see Kallanish passim).
The period of investigation (POI) for the present investigation is 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024. It will examine data pertaining to 1 April 2021-31 March 2022, 1 April 2022-31 March 2023, 1 April 2023-31 March 2024 and the POI in this investigation, DGTR says.
As per the notification, ISA demonstrated there has been a recent, sudden, sharp and significant increase in imports of PUC during the period of investigation and the most recent period. This is the result of unforeseen developments and of an effect of obligations incurred under the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) 1994.
DGTR notes there is sufficient evidence of these imports causing serious injury and a threat of serious injury to the domestic industry.
“On the basis of the duly substantiated application filed by the Applicant, and having satisfied itself on the basis of evidence provided therein, the Authority considers that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to justify the initiation of the safeguard investigation under the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and the Customs Tariff (Identification and Assessment of Safeguard Duty) Rules, 1997 to determine whether unforeseen developments have resulted in a sudden, sharp and significant increase in imports in recent periods, and whether such increased imports have caused serious injury or pose a threat of serious injury to the domestic industry” the authority concludes.
Source:Kallanish
