India has initiated an antidumping investigation on imports of halobutyl rubber from Japan, Russia, Singapore, UK and the US.
The period under investigation will cover four financial years from April 2019 to March 2023, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) said in a notification of the probe dated 6 October.
The government was acting on a complaint filed by domestic producer Reliance Sibur Elastomers Pvt Ltd (RSEPL).
RSEPL is a joint venture between Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd (74.9%) and and Russia’s Sibur Investments AG (25.1%).
“The applicant claims that it has faced underutilization of capacities and has been forced to export in order to dispose of its production,” India’s DGTR said.
Halo butyl rubber is a key ingredient for manufacturing the inner lining of tubeless tyres. It also finds use in the pharmaceutical industry, and is used to make protective clothing, inner liners of storage tanks, sealants, among others.