India’s trade defence organisation has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the import of glass fibre and its articles from China, Thailand and Bahrain following a complaint from domestic manufacturers. Glass fibre or fibre glass is reinforced plastic that is strong, lightweight, flexible and can be moulded into many complex shapes. It has many industrial and domestic uses.
The complaint was filed by an Indian subsidiary of American company Owens Corning that produces insulation, roofing, and fibre glass. It accounts for 84% of the total production of the product in India. The other producer is Goa Glass Fibre.
In its application to the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), the applicant has said that the volume of the subject imports from the three countries is significant in absolute as well as relative terms. It has also claimed that subject imports have had an adverse impact on the profitability parameters of the domestic industry due to which the cash profits and return on capital have registered a very significant decline.
The price suppression and depression caused by dumped imports have been preventing the domestic industry from achieving a reasonable rate of return, the complainant added.
“There is sufficient prima facie evidence that the product under consideration from the subject countries is being dumped in the domestic market of India by the exporters…,” the Directorate General of Trade Remedies said in a notification.
If the investigation proves injury to local producers, the DGTR can recommend the imposition of anti-dumping duties on glass fibre that would level the field between domestic producers and exporters of these products from China, Thailand and Bahrain.