India has recently implemented anti-dumping duties on several products imported from China; a strategic move aimed at safeguarding domestic industries from unfair trade practices. This measure is designed to counteract the dumping of goods at prices lower than their production cost, which can severely harm local manufacturers and distort market competition.
What is Anti-Dumping Duty?
Anti-dumping duty is a tariff a country imposes on imported goods when those goods are sold at prices below their normal value in the exporting country’s domestic market. This practice, known as dumping, can unfairly hurt the importing country’s local industries by making it impossible for them to compete on price. The purpose of these duties is to level the playing field and protect domestic manufacturers from unfair competition.
Who sets anti-dumping duties in India?
In India, the process of setting anti-dumping duties involves two key government bodies. First, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), operating under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, takes the lead. The DGTR is responsible for conducting thorough investigations to determine if dumping is occurring and if it’s causing “material injury” to Indian industries. If their investigation confirms these conditions, the DGTR then recommends the imposition of anti-dumping duties. Following this recommendation, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), part of the Ministry of Finance, issues official notifications to levy these duties.
Are duties boosting self-reliance?
Anti-dumping duties generally prove effective in shielding Indian industries from the harm caused by unfairly priced imports. This protection is particularly beneficial for domestic manufacturers, allowing them to compete more equitably and potentially grow. However, a potential downside is that these duties can sometimes increase the cost of certain products for Indian consumers, especially for everyday necessities like aluminum foil or vacuum flasks.
Despite this, India’s overall strategy of emphasising self-reliance and protecting domestic industries appears likely to persist, particularly given ongoing geopolitical tensions. Over time, the imposition of these duties aims to stimulate investment in local manufacturing, thereby gradually reducing the country’s reliance on imports and fostering a more robust domestic production base.
This report details 18 instances between 2017 and 2025 where India has strategically utilised anti-dumping duties against Chinese products. These measures have been crucial for safeguarding Indian domestic industries by countering the impact of unfairly low-priced imports and fostering fair trade practices within the market.
India imposes five-year anti-dumping duties on six chinese products to shield domestic industries
In a significant move to protect its local manufacturing sector from unfair competition, India has announced the imposition of anti-dumping duties on six categories of products originating from China. These duties, set for a period of five years, aim to counter the influx of cheap imports that have been negatively impacting Indian industries.
The decision, based on recommendations from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, covers a range of items, including key chemicals and decor paper. This action underscores India’s commitment to ensuring fair trade practices and fostering a balanced economic environment for its domestic producers.
The products subject to the new duties and their respective tariffs are as follows:
PEDA (used in herbicides): Duties ranging from USD 1,305.6 to USD 2,017.9 per tonne.
Acetonitrile: Duties up to USD 481 per tonne.
Vitamin-A Palmitate: Duties up to USD 20.87 per kg.
Insoluble Sulphur: Duties up to USD 358 per tonne.
Potassium Tertiary Butoxide: Duties up to USD 1,710 per tonne.
Decor Paper: Duties up to USD 542 per tonne.
India levies five-year duties on solar glass from China and Vietnam
India has implemented anti-dumping duties on solar glass imports from both China and Vietnam for a period of five years. This strategic decision, based on recommendations from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), is designed to protect India’s burgeoning domestic solar glass industry from unfairly priced imports. The move aims to ensure fair competition and significantly boost local manufacturing capabilities within the vital renewable energy sector.
The specific product affected and the duty range are:
Textured toughened (tempered) coated and uncoated solar glass: Duties ranging from USD 570 to USD 664 per tonne.
India imposes anti-dumping duties on five more Chinese products
In a continuing effort to shield its domestic industries, India has imposed anti-dumping duties on five additional categories of imports from China. These measures, enacted in March, target products that were being dumped into the Indian market at unfairly low prices, harming local manufacturers.
The products now subject to these duties are:
Soft Ferrite Cores: Duties up to 35% of the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value.
Vacuum Insulated Flasks: Duties of USD 1,732 per tonne.
Aluminium Foil: Provisional duties up to USD 873 per tonne.
Trichloro Isocyanuric Acid: Duties ranging from USD 276 to USD 986 per tonne.
PVC Paste Resin: Duties ranging from USD 89 to USD 707 per tonne.
India imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese water treatment chemical
India has imposed anti-dumping duties on ‘Trichloro isocyanuric acid’, a crucial chemical used in water treatment, imported from both China and Japan. This action, taken in March, aims to shield the domestic industry from cheap imports. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies’ (DGTR) recommendation led to this move, which seeks to ensure fair trade practices and protect local manufacturers from the injury caused by dumped shipments.
The product and its duty:
Trichloro isocyanuric acid (used in water treatment): Up to USD 986 per tonne.
India’s five-year anti-dumping duty on five Chinese products
In October 2024, India implemented a five-year anti-dumping duty on five categories of Chinese products. This decision followed investigations that confirmed these goods were being exported to India at prices significantly lower than their normal value in China’s domestic market, adversely affecting Indian manufacturers.
The products and their respective duties:
Isopropyl alcohol: USD 82 to USD 217 per tonne.
Sulphur black: Up to USD 389 per tonne.
Cellophane transparent film: USD 1.34 per kg.
Thermoplastic polyurethane: USD 0.93 to USD 1.58 per kg.
Unframed glass mirror: USD 234 per tonne.
India slaps anti-dumping duties on Chinese rock breakers, tin ends, and drawer sliders
India imposed anti-dumping duties on three more Chinese products in June 2024: hydraulic rock breakers, easy open ends of tin plate, and telescopic channel drawer sliders. This measure aims to safeguard domestic manufacturers from low-priced imports. The move followed thorough investigations by the DGTR, which confirmed that local industries were being harmed due to the dumping practices.
The products and their duties:
Hydraulic Rock Breakers: 4.55% to 162.5% of CIF value (in USD).
Easy Open Ends of Tin Plate: USD 741 per 100,000 pieces (per lakh).
Telescopic Channel Drawer Sliders: USD 614 per tonne.
India imposes five-year duty on Chinese aluminium alloy wheels
In March 2024, India levied definitive anti-dumping duties on cast aluminium alloy wheels (ARW) imported from China. This action came after a second sunset review and a recommendation from the DGTR. The move is designed to protect domestic auto component manufacturers from low-cost imports and ensure fair market competition.
The product and its duty:
Cast Aluminium Alloy Wheels: USD 0.23 to USD 1.71 per kg.
India’s five-year anti-dumping duty on three Chinese products
India imposed five-year anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports of wheel loaders, gypsum tiles, and industrial laser machinery in January 2024. This measure was implemented to protect domestic manufacturers from unfair pricing. The DGTR’s investigations confirmed that local industries were suffering injury due to dumping practices in these sectors.
The products affected:
Wheel loaders.
Gypsum board/laminated tiles.
Industrial laser machinery (CBU/SKD/CKD).
India imposes five-year anti-dumping duty on Chinese steel imports
In September 2023, India imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on certain Chinese steel products, primarily cold-rolled coils and sheets. This move was initiated to counter the surge of cheap imports that were harming the domestic steel industry. The decision was based on evidence of injurious pricing, following continuous monitoring by the DGTR.
India’s five-year anti-dumping duty on five Chinese products
In 2021, the Government of India implemented a five-year anti-dumping duty on five Chinese products. This action followed comprehensive investigations that revealed these goods were being exported to India at unfairly low prices, harming domestic industries. The move aimed to safeguard local manufacturers from such undercutting practices, ensure a level playing field, and prevent market distortions caused by dumping.
The products subject to these duties were:
Flat rolled aluminium goods.
Sodium hydrosulphite (used in the dye industry).
Silicone sealant (for solar modules and power applications).
Hydrofluorocarbon R-32 and its blends.
Trailer axles (CKD/SKD).
India imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese drug
In September 2020, India imposed anti-dumping duties on Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride imported from China. This crucial step was taken to protect the domestic pharmaceutical industry from the adverse effects of low-cost imports. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) concluded that the drug was being dumped in the Indian market at unfairly low prices, causing significant harm to local manufacturers. The imposed duty ranges from USD 0.91 to USD 3.27 per kg.
India re-imposes duty on Chinese linen fabric for third time
In November 2020, India re-imposed anti-dumping duties on flax or linen fabric (with more than 50% flax content) imported from China and Hong Kong. This marked the third time since 2009 that such a duty has been implemented on this product. The decision followed a DGTR investigation, which confirmed that the fabric was being dumped at unfairly low prices, causing injury to India’s domestic textile industry. For imports from China, the anti-dumping duty was fixed at USD 2.36 per meter.
India extends duty on Chinese stainless-steel products
India extended the anti-dumping duty on cold-rolled flat products of stainless steel (with specific width ranges for non-bonafide use) imported from China and six other regions in December 2020. This duty, initially imposed in 2015, had been under review by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) since September 2020. Following a sunset review, the DGTR recommended its continuation, and the extension was made effective until January 31, 2021, aiming to continue protecting domestic stainless steel manufacturers.
India imposes duty on 99 Chinese products
As of January 28, 2019, India had already imposed anti-dumping duties on a significant 99 products imported from China. This comprehensive measure was undertaken to safeguard various domestic industries from the adverse impact of cheap imports. The products covered a wide array of sectors, including chemicals and petrochemicals, fibers and yarn, machinery items, pharmaceutical products, rubber, and steel items. This information was provided by the then Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, C. R. Chaudhary, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, highlighting the broad scope of India’s protective trade measures.
India imposes duty on Chinese alloy steel bars
In October 2018, India imposed anti-dumping duties of up to USD 185.51 per tonne on certain alloy steel bars and rods imported from China. These duties were set for a period of five years. The decision aims to protect domestic manufacturers from the influx of cheap and unfairly priced imports. The duty was implemented following recommendations by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which found evidence of dumping causing injury to the local industry.
India imposes duty on Chinese flax yarn
India imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on flax yarn imports (specifically 100% linen, below 70 Lea Count / 43 Nm) from China. This decision was made to safeguard the domestic flax yarn industry from unfairly priced Chinese imports. The duty, recommended by the Designated Authority under the Commerce Ministry and officially notified by the Finance Ministry, ranges from USD 1.30 to USD 4.83 per kg, with the specific amount varying based on the Chinese exporter or producer.
India imposes duty on Chinese steel wire rods for five years
India imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of steel wire rods (both alloy and non-alloy) from China for a period of five years. This measure was implemented to protect domestic producers from the influx of low-priced imports. The decision was based on the recommendation of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) under the Commerce Ministry. The duty imposed on Chinese imports is calculated as the difference between the landed value and USD 535 per tonne for certain producers, and USD 546 per tonne per tonne for others.
India imposes duty on Chinese ceramic table and kitchenware items
In June 2017, India imposed an anti-dumping duty on the import of ceramic table and kitchenware items from China. This action was taken to protect the domestic industry against goods being sold at prices below their normal value. The Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry issued a notification, setting the anti-dumping duty at USD 1.04 per kg.
India has consistently employed anti-dumping duties as a critical tool to safeguard its domestic industries from unfairly priced imports, primarily from China. The 18 incidents documented from 2017 to mid-2025 demonstrate a clear and sustained strategy across diverse sectors – from chemicals and pharmaceuticals to steel, auto components, and consumer goods. While these duties aim to ensure fair competition and foster self-reliance by encouraging domestic manufacturing, they sometimes lead to increased costs for consumers. This ongoing commitment highlights India’s proactive approach to protecting its economy amidst global trade dynamics.
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