Talk of anti-dumping duty attacked by Indian minister
India's commerce and industry minister Murasoli Maran has warned business leaders not to pursue an anti-dumping duty to fight off cheap Chinese imports following worries about falling exports.
Mr Maran said that the commerce ministry had commissioned detailed studies to examine India's competitiveness with respect to Far Eastern countries such as China, Taiwan and Malaysia. The first such study will look at the textile, leather and engineering sectors.
In an address to a seminar on the subject of Indo-Sino relations, the minister said that the recent fall in exports was due to a global slowdown rather than low-priced Chinese goods. He reminded his audience that India has already given China most favoured nation (MFN) trading status and said that anti-dumping measures could only be used if there was direct evidence of imported products sold below their normal value, damaging domestic industry.
