LAHORE, March 15: The Lahore High Court has stayed the proceedings regarding imposition of 320 per cent anti-dumping duty on import of porcelain tiles from China by the National Tariff Commission.

The proceedings have been stayed on a writ petition filed by Home Life, a major tile importer from China. Counsel Shafqat Mehmood Chohan submitted that imports from China were not more than 20 to 30 per cent of the country’s requirements but the manufacturers wanted imposition of anti-dumping duty on the same to create a monopoly for their products.

The counsel contended that the tariff commission had started investigations for imposition of anti-dumping duty on tiles’ import from China on the application of Pakistan Sanitary Merchants and Manufacturers Association without meeting legal requirements of publication of a notice in newspapers for bringing the matter to the notice of all importers and manufacturers. The procedure was a clear violation of Anti-Dumping Ordinance provisions.