Commerce Ministry Recommends Anti-Dumping Duty On Vinyl Tiles From China, Taiwan

The Commerce Ministry has recommended to impose anti-dumping duty on vinyl tiles coming from China and Taiwan for five years in order to guard the domestic players from cheap imports from these countries.

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies has recommended the duty on imports of "Vinyl tiles other than in roll or sheet form" from these countries after concluding in its probe that the product has been exported at dumped prices into India, which impacted the domestic industry.

"The Authority recommends imposition of the anti-dumping duty on the imports...originating in or exported from the subject countries, for five years," the directorate has said in a notification.

In the market parlance, the product is known as luxury vinyl tiles, or PVC flooring tiles. It mimics the appearance of the natural materials. It is used for covering the floors in the residential and the commercial buildings.

DGTR, which works under the ministry, conducted the probe following a complaint from Welspun Flooring Ltd, Welspun Global Brands Ltd, Welspun India Ltd.

The recommended duty is $2.05 (Rs 167.15) per square metre and $1.44 (Rs 117.41) per sq meter. The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose the duty.

The imposition of anti-dumping duty is permissible under the World Trade Organisation regime.

The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters.