Provisional duties imposed to curb dumping of silk by China

Bangalore, May 24 (UNI) India has imposed provisional duties on import of silk fabric weighing 20-100 gms per metre to curb China from dumping the material, Central Silk Board (CSB) Chief Executive Officer and Member Secretary H Baskar said today.

Talking to newspersons here, he said a notification to this effect was issued on April 27 by the Director General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), Union Commerce Ministry, after investigating into a case filed by the CSB in association with the various Silk Power Loom Weavers Associations in Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttra Pradesh on September 29, 2004.

Dr Baskar said that 40 days time had been given to China to stop dumping of the silk fabric. The provisional duty had been imposed under the custom heading 5007 of schedule One of the Customs Tariff Act, taking into consideration the dumping margin ranging from 57 per cent to 115 per cent and weight and variety of fabric imported, he added.

''This measure was taken to remove the injury to the Indian Domestic Powerloom weaving and Silk industry,'' he explained.

Dr Baskar said the investigation by DGAD had revealed that China exported silk fabric to India below its normal value, resulting in dumping and material injury to the domestic industry. Hence the DGAD considered it necessary to impose anti-dumping duty provisionally, pending a final decision on all imports of silk goods from China.

He pointed out that of the 70,000 powerlooms in India, over 50 per cent had to close down due to dumping of the fabric by China, rendering more than two lakh men and women employed directly and indirectly in the industry jobless.

Dr Baskar said that though export of silk from India increased by 70 per cent to touch 3,597 metric tonnes in 2004-05 as against 2,308 metric tonnes in 2003-04, the domestic problems increased manifold.

CSB Joint Director K S Menon, who was also present, alleged that China used to export silk fabrics weighing less than the stipulated 50 gms to 110 gms.

UNI MSP RG MP VV1809