India slaps anti-dumping duty on some Chinese, Vietnamese solar glass for 5 years

India has decided to impose an anti-dumping duty of up to USD 664 per tonne on a type of solar glass imported from China and Vietnam. The move is meant to protect Indian manufacturers from very cheap imports that are hurting their business.

This decision comes after a detailed investigation by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which works under the commerce ministry. The investigation found that China and Vietnam were selling large amounts of solar glass in India at very low prices, which affected Indian producers badly.

The glass in question is called Textured Toughened (Tempered) Coated and Uncoated Glass, but it is also commonly known as:

• Solar Glass
• Low Iron Solar Glass
• Solar PV Glass
• High Transmission Photovoltaic Glass
• Tempered Low Iron Patterned Solar Glass

This glass is mainly used in making solar panels.

How much is the duty?

The anti-dumping duty will be between USD 570 and USD 664 per tonne. It will be in effect for five years starting from 4 December 2024, unless the government decides to change it earlier.

Indian company Borosil Renewables Ltd had filed the complaint that led to the investigation. In a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Borosil welcomed the decision, saying it would help local manufacturing of solar glass grow quickly.

Anti-dumping investigations are carried out to find out if low-priced imports are damaging Indian businesses. If such imports are found to be unfair, duties are added to make the competition equal for local producers. These actions are allowed under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), of which both India and China are members.

India has already put similar duties on many other products in the past to stop cheap imports from countries like China.

Inputs from PTI