The commerce ministry investigation arm DGTR has terminated an anti-dumping investigation into the import of Chinese fasteners, used in multiple sectors, including construction and auto, according to a notification.
Fasteners include screws, bolts, nuts, concrete nails, industrial staple pins, steel strapping seals, plastic strip nails, and cable clip nails.
In its final findings, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) said there is no sufficient evidence of dumping and injury to justify the continuation of the investigation.
“Due to lack of required data, the authority is unable to make any determination regarding evidence of dumping and injury to the domestic industry. Therefore, the authority is constrained to terminate the present investigation,” it said.
The directorate had “suo-motu” initiated the probe in September 2023 against the alleged dumping of the product.
Usually, anti-dumping investigations are initiated based on an application filed by domestic producers, but since the fragmented industries did not have the knowhow of the procedures involved in the trade remedy probe, the directorate undertakes the exercise to investigate the matter on its own initiative.
The move is aimed at granting protection to the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) producers against dumped goods from China.
In international trade parlance, dumping happens when a country or a firm exports an item at a price lower than the price of that product in the targeted market.
The duty is imposed only after a thorough investigation by a quasi-judicial body, such as the DGTR, in India. It is aimed at ensuring fair trade practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers.
In another notification, the DGTR has recommended anti-dumping duty of up to USD 664 per tonne on imports of ‘textured tempered glass’ from China and Vietnam.