The four companies namely Birla VXL Ltd, DCW Ltd, Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd and Tata Chemicals, on behalf of the domestic industry and in accordance with the Customs Tariff (Amendment) Act, 1995 and Customs Tariff (identification, Assessment and Collection of Anti-dumping Duty) Rules, 1995 have alleged dumping of disodium carbonate commonly known as soda ash into the country by China.

The petition of the four above companies are supported by Tuticorn Alkali Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd and Punjab National Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd.

The petitioners have claimed that soda ash produced by them have no substitute and can be used interchageably with that imported from China and have same end use and therefore be treated as like arcticles within the meaning of the Rules. The petioners have also claimed normal valuebased on a secondary source evidencing domestic prices of soda ash in China. They have also claimed export price based on the import documents evidencing export price to India.

The anti-dumping cell is of the view that there is sufficient prima-facie evidence that the normal value of soda ash in China is significantly higher than the price at which it has been exported to India. This shows a prima-facie case of dumping by Chinese exporters. Various parametres relating to injury such as decline in capacity utilisation, loss of market share, drop in sales realisation and rising inventory collectively and cumulatively indicate that domestic industry has suffered material injury on account of dumping. The anti-dumping cell, has, therefore, fixed the period April 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999 for review in this anti-dumping case.