Saudi Arabia voices concern over dumping duties

Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about penal import duties imposed by India on a number of products, including chemicals and caustic soda.

The visiting Commerce & Industry Minister of Saudi Arabia, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah, in a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Anand Sharma, also discussed the proposed free trade agreement between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The GCC countries – Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia – and India have identified sectors such as petroleum and oil, gas and fertilisers and information technology among others to be given focus in the free trade agreements.

Rabiah pointed out to Sharma that the increase in imposition of anti-dumping duties — punitive import duties that are imposed when it is established that an imported product is sold at lower prices in the home market of the seller — on products exported by Saudi Arabia could affect trade relations.

Sharma explained that the anti-dumping duties were imposed after due diligence and was a quasi-judicial exercise, an official release said. He also pointed out that India had withdrawn anti-dumping duties on two items – polypropylene and pentaerythritol. He said India needed to diversify its export to Saudi Arabia and listed out items that hold potential, such as pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles and sugar.

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