India decides against extending ESBR anti-dumping duties

Delhi – The Indian government has decided not to accept a recommendation to extend anti-dumping duties against emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) imported from Europe, South Korea and Thailand for another three years.

The duties were initially imposed in 2017 and covered on ESBR 1500 and ESBR 1700 series, according to India’s directorate general of trade remedies (DGTR).

In a sunset review report, published 29 July, the authority recommended the duties to continue, saying there was continued dumping of the subject goods from Korea and the European Union, “despite duties being in force.”

However, in a statement 28 Oct, the Indian ministry of finance said the central government of India had decided "not to accept" the recommendations after considering the final findings.

According to DGTR, Kumho Petrochemical, producers in the European Union and Thai manufacturers have been respectively using 70-80%, 30-40% and 70-80% of their production for exports “at dumped price” to third countries.

The rate of dumping, it said, are 60-70%, 50-60% and 50-60% respectively.

DGTR had suggested anti-dumping rates of $266/tonne for European companies, $243.60/tonne for Thai suppliers and $64.00/tonne for Korean manufacturers, bar Kumho Petrochemical which would have had a rate of $33.95/tonne.