In a move to mollify the manufacturers of hot rolled flat products of stainless steel of ASTM Grade 304 with all its variants battling against cheap import from abroad, the Commerce Ministry has recommended imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty on the subject goods from European Union (EU), South Africa, the United States and Taiwan, in response to a petition moved by domestic company Jindal Steel Limited (JSL). JSL has fulfilled the criteria of being a major player in the domestic market with its production level of the subject goods.
In its final findings, the Designated Authority of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties has however excluded three other manufacturers of the product under probe which include Acerinox, Spain and Acernix Spain as producer and Acerinox Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Malaysia as its exporter and the Finland company, Outokumpu Stainless OY, both as producer and exporter.
Width tolerance
Even as there was a dispute between the domestic producer and user industry (importers) of levying anti-dumping duty in respect of exclusion of widths above 1,250 mm, the Authority held that the product under consideration for the purpose of the probe is defined as hot rolled flat products of stainless steel of width up to 1,250 mm (width tolerance of plus 20 mm for mill edge and plus 5 mm for trimmed edge) of ASTM Grade 304 with all its variants including products of equivalent specifications in other standards like UNS, IS, Chinese DIN, JIS, B IS, EN etc. In doing this, the Authority cited an earlier probe concerning mid-term review of Cold Rolled Flat products of stainless steel of width 600 mm to 1,250 mm in which it allowed width tolerance for trim edge and mill edge materials separately according to ISO standards. Hence, it deemed it appropriate to indicate width tolerance in respect of the subject goods in the present probe too according to the same ISO norm.
The Authority found that the subject goods have been exported to India from the subject countries below its normal value as a result of which domestic industry has suffered material injury. Accordingly, it has recommended a definitive anti-dumping duty on any country other than Spain and Finland from EU of $649.55 a tonne of hot rolled flat products of stainless steel of the specified variety.
South Africa
In case of South Africa, while the producer-exporter Columbus Stainless Steel (PTY) has to fork out a definitive anti-dumping duty of $160.14, another combine of Columbus Stainless (PTY) as producer and Acerinox Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Malaysia as exporter should pay a definitive anti-dumping duty of $200.50 a tonne. All other combinations of producer/exporter from South Africa other than the two from South Africa should however pay a hefty anti-dumping duty of $1130.28 a tonne. Any country using South Africa for export to India, other than the two identified companies, should also pay a definitive anti-dumping duty of $1,130.28 a tonne.
In the case of Taiwanese company, Yieh United Steel Corporation as producer and exporter has to pay a definitive anti-dumping duty of $432.44 a tonne, any other company sourcing the subject goods from Taiwan as also by any overseas companies sourcing from Taiwan to export to India the subject goods should have to pay a higher definitive anti-dumping duty of $683.95 a tonne, it said. Finally, it noted that any producer/exporter or any producer/exporter sourcing the subject goods for exports to India from the United States will have to cough up a definitive anti-dumping duty of $165.32 a tonne.