May 27, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1427

ISLAMABAD, May 26: The National Tariff Commission (NTC) on Friday imposed definitive anti-dumping at the rate of 10.94 ad valorem of C&F price on import of phthalic anhydride (PA) into Pakistan by the exporters from India.

The dumping duty on import of PA will be effective retrospectively from February 13, 2006 for a period of five years to provide protection to the local industry.

The investigation has been initiated in response to an application filed with the NTC by Nimir Chemicals Pakistan Limited, a domestic producer of PA. This will be the first-ever antidumping investigation against Indian exporters.

The initial investigation led to a provisional anti-dumping duty on import of PA from India, with effect from February 13, 2006 for a period of four months.

PA is an industrial raw material and is used by a number of industries in the chemical sector. It is used in the production of plasticizers, alkyd resins, polyester resins, dyes, pigments, etc.

An official announcement said the applicant identified 13 exporters/producers from India involved in dumping of PA. However, the Indian exporters as well as the Indian High Commission were informed to respond to the notice of initiation of anti-dumping investigation.

After the expiry of the notice period of 37 days, NTC officers carried out on the spot investigations at premises of the domestic industry in Lahore in order to verify the information provided by it. The investigation first led to the provisional duty and then final anti-dumping duty.

The applicant was the only domestic producer of PA and thereby represents 100 per cent of the total domestic production of PA. Total installed production capacity of the applicant stands at 16,000 tons per annum.

This is the 10th investigation concluded under the Pakistan’s Anti-dumping Ordinance 2000 where the NTC has imposed definitive antidumping duties. The previous cases involved exporters of various products from South Africa, Indonesia, France, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Iran, Uzbekistan and China. However, three cases are under process against Finland, Germany, Italy, France, the UK, the USA and China.