India has moved to curb low-priced imports of a key textile input, with the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) recommending the imposition of anti-dumping duties on viscose rayon filament yarn from China, according to a government notification issued on Monday.

The proposed duties target viscose rayon filament yarn of above 75 deniers, a widely used man-made fibre in the textile industry. The DGTR has suggested duties of US $386 per metric tonne on imports from Xinxiang Chemical Fibre Co Ltd, US $667 per metric tonne on Jilin Chemical Fiber Co., and US $518 per metric tonne on Yibin Hiest Fibre Limited Corporation and related exporters. Other producers could face a duty of as much as US $1,071 per metric tonne.

The recommendation follows the DGTR’s preliminary findings that imports from China were being dumped into the Indian market at significantly lower prices, undercutting domestic producers and causing material injury to the local industry. The authority stated that the dumping margin was above the de minimis threshold, indicating substantial price distortion by exporters.

The move comes shortly after the DGTR initiated a separate anti-dumping investigation into imports of ethyl chloroformate from China, following a complaint by Paushak. The company had alleged that the chemical was being exported to India at unfairly low prices, adversely affecting domestic manufacturers.

If approved by the Ministry of Finance, the proposed anti-dumping duties on viscose yarn imports will remain in force for a period of five years. The measure is aimed at restoring fair competition in the domestic market and safeguarding Indian producers from sustained pricing pressure caused by dumped imports.