India imposes anti-dumping duty on this country amid Trump tariffs; relief for steel traders

News Topical, Digital Desk : Amid the Trump tariffs , India has imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on certain steel products imported from Vietnam, according to a government notification issued on Wednesday.

The notification issued by the Revenue Department on November 12 follows an investigation by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which found that these products were being sold below normal value, causing huge injury to the domestic industry.

The duty applies to hot-rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel with a thickness of up to 25 mm and a width of up to 2100 mm, and is designed to ensure fair pricing and protect Indian producers. "If anti-dumping duty is not imposed on the goods imported from the subject country, there is a risk of further serious injury to the domestic industry," the notification said.

Vietnamese producers and exporters will be subject to an anti-dumping duty of $121.55 per metric ton on the specified products. The same rate applies to goods exported from Vietnam by non-Vietnamese producers. The notification clarifies that this measure does not apply to stainless steel hot-rolled flat products.

India's steel industry was incurring losses

The anti-dumping duty will remain in effect for five years from the date of publication, unless repealed, replaced, or amended earlier. It will be payable in Indian currency at the exchange rate prevailing on the date of presentation of the bill of entry. The imposition of the anti-dumping duty comes at a time when India's steel industry is facing challenges from imports being dumped at below-normal prices. This is increasing pressure on domestic producers, who are being forced to reduce prices as they struggle to stay in business.

The government previously imposed a 12 percent temporary safeguard duty on certain steel imports through April 2025 to protect the domestic market. These measures follow earlier actions and are part of ongoing efforts to protect the industry while promoting self-reliance under initiatives such as "Make in India."

Low-priced steel imports from major producers like China, Japan and South Korea due to high tariffs in other countries have forced domestic manufacturers to reduce prices, reduce capacity utilisation and see their market share decline, according to a Reserve Bank of India report.

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