Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has withdrawn its anti-dumping petition on solar equipment to file a fresh plea seeking to extend the period of investigation after a considerable increase in solar imports was noticed in the second half of 2017.
According to the association there was a jump of 33 to 45 per cent in imports of solar equipment from China, Taiwan and Malaysia during July to December last year. The body had earlier filed its petition covering the investigation period till June 2017. The fresh petition would cover the period December 2017. (Read AISIA opposes safeguard duty on import of Solar panels, cells)
ISMA in a statement said ISMA said, “We had filed the petition for anti-dumping duty on solar cells and modules, covering the period of investigation till June 2017. However, import trends since then have made the period of investigation irrelevant. Exports from China, Taiwan and Malaysia have increased by 33 per cent to 45 per cent during July 2017 to December 2017.” It further added “This massive increase in volumes was enabled by a significant price reduction to dump more material in India. Prices in the same period fell by about 25 per cent. This has resulted in enhanced injury to the domestic industry, which would not have been fairly addressed by the outcome of an investigation covering the period up to June 2017,” the statement added.
ISMA will soon be approaching the commerce department and the honourable authority to file a fresh petition with a more relevant and more recent period of investigation.
Meanwhile, India had proposed to levy a 70 per cent safeguard duty on import of solar power equipment from countries like China for 200 days to protect domestic industry. (Read Solar installations in India expected to fall by 22 per cent in 2018)
The Directorate General of Safeguards in a January 5 recommendation to the finance ministry said solar cells are “being imported into India in such increased quantities and under such conditions so as to cause or threaten to cause serious injury to the domestic industry manufacturing like or directly competitive products.”
With PTI inputs
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