The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has notified the initiation of Safeguard (Quantitative Restrictions) investigation concerning the imports of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke into India.
The applicants alleged that there has been sudden, sharp, significant and recent increase in the volume of imports of the product under consideration, i.e., Low Ash Metallurgical Coke, in India which has started causing serious injury to the domestic industry and is posing threat of further aggravated injury.
Accordingly, the applicants have requested for imposition of Safeguard Measures in the form of quantitative restrictions on the imports of the product under consideration into India for one year only.
The product under consideration defined in the application is Low Ash Metallurgical Coke, that is, Metallurgical Coke having ash content below 18%. It is commonly known as Met Coke or Coke in the market parlance. Metallurgical Coke with high ash content, that is, ash content above 18% is outside the scope of the product under consideration.
The product is classified under Chapter 27 of Schedule I to the Customs Tariff Act under the HS Code 2704 0030. The product under consideration is also being imported under various other HS Codes including 2704 0010, 2704 0020, 2704 0030 and 2704 0090. The customs classification is only indicative and not binding on the scope of the product under consideration.
The applicants have proposed a period of investigation in the present investigation from April 2022-December 2022. The petitioners have submitted that there has been a sudden, sharp, significant and recent surge in imports of the product under consideration in India. However, the Authority has considered April 2022- March 2023 as the most recent period for the purpose of the present investigation.
The petitioners have claimed that there is a sudden, sharp and recent significant increase in the imports of the product under consideration in April 2022-December 2022 both in absolute terms as well as relative to domestic production.
The petitioners have claimed that sudden, sharp and significant increase in the import of the product under consideration in substantial quantities in recent times has started causing serious injury to the domestic industry. The petitioners have also contended that the increased imports also pose a further threat of serious injury.
The Parties interested in the investigation are hereby advised to intimate their interest, (including the nature of interest) in the instant investigation and file their questionnaire response/submissions within 30 days.
Additionally, the notification specified that any party submitting confidential information or making confidential submissions to the Authority must also submit a non-confidential version of the same simultaneously. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the rejection of the response or submissions.
To facilitate the exchange of information, a roster of registered interested parties will be posted on the website of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), accompanied by a request to email the non-confidential versions of their submissions to all other concerned parties. Due to the prevailing pandemic situation, access to the physical public file will not be available.
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