India’s trade defence body has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the import of Cold-rolled Grain-oriented Steel (CRGO) and Amorphous Metal (AM) from China, Japan, Korea and Russia. Both CRGO and AM are in the list of specialty steel items whose manufacturing the government is seeking to encourage through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.

The investigation has started on a complaint by JSW JFE Electrical steel Nashik – a joint venture between JSW Steel and Japan’s JEE Steel. The initial probe by Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) found enough ground exit for starting the probe. The JV is one of the manufacturers selected for speciality steel PLI.

Both CRGO and AM are magnetic materials used as core material in electrical transformers for high voltage applications. The technology to make CRGO was not available with any of the Indian steelmakers so it was included in PLI. 

The DGTR has also launched an investigation into Biaxially Oriented Polyamide (BOPA) Film that is used for food packaging from China and Thailand. Another probe has been initiated Thermal Paper or Thermal Sensitive Paper which is used for printing without ink at point of sale terminals and labelling from the US, China and Korea.  

The DGTR has also initiated investigation on imports of “Certain Antioxidants” originating in or exported from China, Korea and Singapore. On below cost imports of sodium nitrate from China a separate probe has been launched.