Anti-dumping duty on Bangladeshi jute goods

Virtual hearing to set things straight

Staff Correspondent: A sunset review investigation of the existing ADD on jute imports from Bangladesh and Nepal was initiated earlier in June last year under the Indian customs tariff rules of 1995.
A virtual hearing for the ongoing investigation into existing anti-dumping duty (ADD) on imports of jute products from Bangladesh will be held this week.
Directorate General of Trade Remedies of India Anant Swarup and Director General of WTO cell of Bangladesh’s Commerce Ministry Md Hafizur Rahman are expected to represent respective countries, sources said.
A sunset review investigation of the existing ADD on jute imports from Bangladesh and Nepal was initiated earlier in June last year under the Indian customs tariff rules of 1995, said Vivek Singh, deputy director of India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).
In January 2017, the DGTR imposed ADD on Bangladesh’s jute yarns, hessians and sacking bags, ranging from $19.30 to $351.72 per ton for a period of five years.
The sunset clause is supposed to remain effective until January 31 this year.
Unless the Indian government extends the period of the clause, it will help Bangladesh boost the export of jute goods to the neighbouring country.
But India started a sunset review on import of Bangladesh jute products on July 9 last year, to enhance the ADD for another five years.
Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Patwari urged the government to raise the issue before the World Trade Organization (WTO) to get a better result.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the country exported $1,096 million worth of goods to India in fiscal year 2019-2020.
Of the amount, $157 million came from jute and jute products. Around 12% of Bangladesh’s jute products are exported to India.
A Commerce Ministry official said that Dhaka has on several occasions, urged New Delhi to lift the anti-dumping duty slapped on Bangladeshi jute products as India started sunset review on import of our jute products to raise the duration of ADD up to next five years.
Additional Secretary and Director General of WTO Cell of the Commerce Ministry Md Hafizur Rahman said: “India still imposes ADD on the export of Bangladeshi jute products. Dhaka has requested New Delhi to lift the ADD on goods to boost export to the neighbouring country. We have been in negotiations with the DGTR to resolve the issue since the imposition of ADD in January 2017.”