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Govt mulls new anti-dumping measures

The government on Monday announced a slew of measures, including setting of an expert group for changing the legal structure for anti-dumping investigations to decisively protect the domestic industry and curb import surge from China, the European Union, the US and other countries.

The designated authority under the commerce ministry is taking immediate measures to reach out relief to all port destinations in the country with the help of 31 senior officials of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

The ministry of small-scale industry is examining ways to provide financial help to the small-scale units to fight dumping into the country with the lifting of all quantitative barriers on imports.

"We will designate one officer of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade at each of the 31 port offices who will receive information about dumping on my behalf. These officers will work under my supervision and guidance,'' additional secretary and designated authority in the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties L V Saptarishi said.

He said that the development commissioner in the SSI ministry was in touch with him regarding a proposal for giving a financial help to the small industries in fighting the cases of dumping from abroad.

The 15-member expert group comprising different stake-holders and legal luminaries will work under the chairmanship of Saptarishi.

India has so far initiated anti-dumping investigations in 89 cases out of which 41 relate to China. Likewise, there are 36 cases slapped against India in the overseas markets of Europe, the US, etc.

Asked to elaborate on the high number of cases against China, Saptarishi said that India was not targetting any specific country. He said India would be prepared to face any possible retaliation by China after it becomes member of the World Trade Organisation, as long it is 'rule based'.

The designated authority denied reports India was imposing non-tariff barriers. "We are taking remedial actions. These are not revenue generating measures,'' he said.

Anti-dumping was a mechanism to protect the domestic industry, he said adding other issues such as developing a system of price undertaking amongst importing firms and domestic companies to maintain a fair price were equally important.

UNI

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