New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) India has imposed an anti-dumping duty on hot-rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel from Vietnam, for a period of five years, to protect domestic producers from the flood of cheap imports that are priced below their normal cost.

The notification by the Department of Revenue, dated November 12, follows an investigation by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which found that these products were being sold at prices below their normal price, causing material 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.

“There is also a threat of further aggravated injury to the domestic industry, if anti-dumping duty is not imposed on import of subject goods from the subject country,” the notification states.

The Vietnamese producers and exporters will face an anti-dumping duty of $121.55 per metric tonne on specified products. The same rate applies to goods exported from Vietnam by non-Vietnamese producers.

The notification specifies that the measure does not apply to stainless steel hot rolled flat products.

The anti-dumping duty will remain in effect for five years from the date of publication, unless revoked, superseded, or amended earlier. It will be payable in Indian currency at the applicable exchange rate on the date of the bill of entry presentation.

The imposition of the anti-dumping duty comes in the backdrop of India’s steel industry facing challenges from imports that are being dumped at below normal prices. This is putting pressure on domestic producers who are being forced to lower prices as they struggle to keep in business.

The government earlier imposed a 12 per cent temporary safeguard duty on certain steel imports in April 2025 to protect the domestic market. These measures follow previous actions and are part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the industry while promoting self-reliance under initiatives like ‘Make in India’.

The influx of low-priced steel from major producers like China, Japan, and South Korea due to higher tariffs in other countries, has forced domestic manufacturers to lower prices, reduce capacity utilisation, and see their market share decline, according to an RBI report.

–IANS

sps/na