NEW DELHI, Aug 1: The Centre is contemplating setting up a directorate general of anti-dumping and allied duties in order to establish a strong and efficient machinery to look into pleas for imposition of anti-dumping and other duties, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The anti-dumping system was envisaged for the entire domestic industry and not for any particular state, Union Commerce Minister, Dr B B Ramaiah, said in a written reply.

Stating that seven cases of dumping had been investigated by the anti-dumping cell of the Commerce Ministry during 1996-97, he said, while three cases were under probe, provisional duties had been imposed on two commodities and similar duty had been recommended for two other goods, including newsprint.

Between 1994-96, 12 commodities were taken up for anti-dumping investigations and except for acrylonitrile butaidene rubber, which had attracted provisional duty, final duty had been imposed on the rest of the goods.

To a question on anti-dumping procedures on newsprint import, the minister said the designated authority had recommended provisional levy on shipments from Russia, Canada and the United States and a final decision in the case would be taken within the prescribed statutory time limit of one year.

To a question by Jayawanti Mehta on precautionary measures to check dumping of toxic waste and electronic graphite, Dr Ramaiah said the designated authority had not received any complaint in this regard.

However, the authority had conducted a probe on dumping of graphite electrodes and imposed provisional duties.

While import from Germany attracted duty between Rs 9,021 and Rs 20,933 a tonne, shipments from France attracted a duty of Rs 29,695 a tonne. Imports from Italy were levied a duty of Rs 27,347 a tonne, those from Austria Rs 27,347 a tonne, from Spain Rs 17,125 a tonne and from Belgium Rs 16,918.

On the anti-dumping duty imposed by the European Commission on exports of bed linen from India, the minister said the Centre had taken up the matter with the European Union through the Indian embassy.

But so far, no response had been received from the Union, he said.

The European Commission had decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties ranging between 3.9 per cent and 27.3 per cent on cotton-type bed linen. The levy had come into effect from June 13 last and these measures had an adverse impact on exports from India since bed linen was an important constituent of textile exports to European Union market, Dr Ramaiah added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.