Centre extends duty on Chinese solar goods
- Govt notifies continuation of the duty on solar cells and panels for one year
- The duty also applies to imports from Thailand and Vietnam but excludes imports from any other developing nation
NEW DELHI : India has levied import duties on solar cells and panels from China, among some items, for hurting domestic producers by allegedly dumping products, in the latest move against the northern neighbour following a deadly border clash in June. The items also include digital offset printing plates, and a raw material used in making industrial chemicals.
The revenue department notified continuation of the duty on solar cells and panels for another year and imposed definitive anti-dumping duty on import of digital offset printing plates and provisional anti-dumping duty on aniline oil used in making certain industrial chemicals. The decisions were announced in three separate orders late Wednesday night.
The extension of the safeguard duty on solar cells and panels follows the expiry of the existing safeguard duty on the item on 29 July.
The government order said the safeguard duty is to be paid on these items at a rate of 14.9% for the first six months and at 14.5% for the remaining six months. Exporters will be given relief from the safeguard duty to the extent of any anti-dumping duty paid on the items. The duty also applies to imports from Thailand and Vietnam but excludes imports from any other developing nation.
After the June border clash in which 20 Indian army personnel died, New Delhi has banned dozens of Chinese smartphone apps, ordered e-commerce firms to display country of origin on the products on their platforms, and banned companies from China from bidding for government contracts without specific approval from competent authorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advocated self-reliance as a growth strategy, which is also aimed at weaning away Indian producers from over-dependence on Chinese raw materials, especially in sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
In the case of digital offset printing plates, the anti-dumping duty is also applicable to imports from select companies from Japan, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam at specified rates.
Source : livemint
