The Commerce Ministry has recommended levying anti-dumping duty on solar cells imported from the U.S., Malaysia, China and Chinese Taipei, a move that would provide relief to struggling domestic manufacturers. Concluding the one-and-a-half year long probe into allegations that cheap solar cells are being dumped into India, the Ministry has suggested restrictive duty in the range of $0.11 to 0.81 per watt. The notification to impose anti-dumping duty is likely to be issued by the new government, which will assume office after swearing in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister on May 26.
The Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) has recommended duty on imports of solar cells from Malaysia, China, Chinese Taipei and the U.S. The levy would be applicable “whether or not assembled partially or fully in modules or panels or on glass or some other suitable substrates, originating in or exported” from these countries, a Commerce Ministry notification said. “… the product under consideration has been exported to India from subject countries below its normal value, thus resulting in dumping of the product; the domestic industry has suffered material injury due to dumping of the product under consideration,” the DGAD probe has concluded. To protect the interests of local players, the panel has proposed that Chinese imports should attract duties of $0.64-0.81 per watt while the levy suggested for such cells coming from the U.S. is $0.11-0.48 per watt. Similarly, duties of $0.62 per watt and $0.59 per watt have been recommended for solar cell imports from Malaysia and Taipei, respectively.
Source: www.thehindu.com