CUSTOM AND EXCISE DUTY IN INDIA

Recently, the government has decided not to impose Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) on imports of certain copper products, from China, Thailand, Korea and three other countries.

Important points:

  • In April, Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) recommended imposing the duty on “copper and copper alloy flat-rolled products” from China, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, after conducting a probe.
  • However, the Ministry of Finance takes the final call to impose these duties and issues notification for the same.

Anti Dumping Duty (Concept):

  • Dumping is said to occur when the goods are exported by a country to another country at a price lower than the price it normally charges in its own home market.
  • This is an unfair trade practice which can have a distortive effect on international trade.
  • Imposition of Anti-dumping duty is a measure to rectify the situation arising out of the dumping of goods and its trade distortive effect.
  • In the long-term, anti-dumping duties can reduce the international competition of domestic companies producing similar goods.
  • It is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.
  • The use of anti-dumping measures as an instrument of fair competition is permitted by the World Trade Organisation.

Different from Countervailing Duties:

ADD is a customs duty on imports providing a protection against the dumping of goods at prices substantially lower than the normal value whereas Countervailing duty is a customs duty on goods that have received government subsidies in the originating or exporting country.

WTO’s Provisions Related to Anti-Dumping Duty:

  • An anti-dumping duty is valid for a period of five years from the date of imposition unless revoked earlier.
  • It can be extended for a further period of five years through a sunset or expiry review investigation.
  • A Sunset review/ expiry review is an evaluation of the need for the continued existence of a program or an agency. It allows for an assessment of the effectiveness and performance of the program or agency.
  • Such a review can be initiated suo moto or on the basis of a duly substantiated request received from or on behalf of the domestic industry.

Directorate General of Trade Remedies

  • It is the apex national authority under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for administering all trade remedial measures including anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard measures.
  • It provides trade defence support to the domestic industry and exporters in dealing with increasing instances of trade remedy investigations instituted against them by other countries.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES .MINT

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