The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), in a recent notification, said it has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the imports of copper data cables from China, following an application by Sterlite Technologies (STL) and Birla Cable.
The homegrown optical fibre cable (OFC) vendors, in their application, said the import of copper data cable has caused “material injury” to the domestic industry, and sought imposition of anti-dumping duties on such imports from the neighbouring country.
“Upon comparison of the normal value and the export price at ex-factory level, it is prima facie noted that the dumping margin is above the de minimis level and is also significant,” the DGTR said in a notification on September 18, 2025, adding that there is prima facie evidence that the products are being dumped into the Indian market by exporters from China.
The investigation covers all structured copper data cables, including CAT 5e, CAT 6, CAT 6A, CAT 7, CAT 7A, and patch cords.
Copper data cables are primarily used as local area network (LAN) cables for high-speed data transmission, telecoms, networking, audio-video transmission, and for other purposes.
The investigation period, as per the notification, is between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, while the injury period will cover FY22, FY23, FY24, and the recently concluded fiscal year.