'India has initiated 353 anti-dumping cases as on November 28'

NEW DELHI: India has initiated as many as 353 anti-dumping cases as on November 28 this year, Parliament was informed today.

Anti-dumping duties help protecting domestic players from cheap imports.

"As on November 28, 2016, Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) initiated 353 anti-dumping cases and in 130 cases, anti-dumping measures are in force," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

The major products found to have been dumped from China and other countries fall in the categories like chemicals and petrochemicals, pharma, steel, fibre and consumer goods.

Countries initiate an anti-dumping probe to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of surge in cheap import of any product. As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of the WTO.

The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trade practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters resorting to dumping of goods at below-cost rates.

Replying to a separate question, Sitharaman said that the government has constituted an inter-ministerial task force under the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries with the responsibility to work out specific strategies required from time to time for India's constructive interventions in the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies.

"Flexibilities, particularly for the artisanal, poor and subsistence fishermen, is the major element of India's interventions in these negotiations," she added.