ISLAMABAD, Aug 9: The National Tariff Commission (NTC) on Wednesday initiated an anti-dumping investigation against alleged dumping of polyester staple fibre (PSF) into Pakistan by exporters from Indonesia, Korea and Thailand.
The investigation has been initiated in response to an application filed with the NTC by Ibrahim Fibres Limited, Dewan Salman Fibre Limited and ICI Pakistan Limited on behalf of the domestic producers of PSF.
The domestic industry of PSF comprises of five units with an installed production capacity of 630,600 tons per annum on three shift basis. All the five units are operational. PSF mainly used in the manufacturing of textile fabrics and garments. Its imports rose from 1,139.27 tons in 2004-05 to 28,737.84 tons in 2005-06.
An official announcement said the NTC would determine through this investigation whether PSF was dumped into Pakistan by the foreign producers/exporters of three investigating countries and whether the domestic industry producing PSF has suffered material injury due to alleged dumped imports of PSF during the period of investigation in terms of provisions of the ordinance.
In the notice of initiation, the NTC has asked the interested parties to apply for registration within 10 days after the publication of the notice. As per the procedures laid down in the Ordinance and Anti-Dumping Duties Rules, 2001, the NTC for the purposes of gathering information was expected to send questionnaires to the known exporters, foreign producers and importers of the investigated product asking them to provide information within 37 days.
After due process, once the requisite information on questionnaires has been received from the interested parties and examined by the commission, the NTC was expected to make a preliminary determination. Under the ordinance, the NTC could not make a preliminary determination sooner than 60 days from the date of initiation of investigation. If an affirmative preliminary determination of dumping and injury is made, then a provisional anti-dumping duty (equal to the amount of dumping margin) may be applied for a period of four months.
This is the 22nd investigation initiated by the NTC under the ordinance. The commission has imposed definitive antidumping duties on tinplate imported from South Africa, sorbitol 70pc solution imported from France and Indonesia, glacial acetic acid imported from Taiwan, acrylic tow imported from Uzbekistan, PVC resin (suspension grade) imported from Korea and Iran, urea formaldehyde moulding compound imported from China, pthalic anhydride imported from India and formic acid imported from Finland and Germany.
The 21st investigation against alleged dumped imports of ceramics tiles is at an advanced stage according to the schedule of investigation given in the respective notice of initiation, added the announcement.