DGS to hold public hearing on Sep 29 on aluminium imports

Revenue department will hold a public hearing later this month before making a "final determination" of safeguard duty on imports of unwrought aluminium to protect domestic manufacturers.
"It has been decided by the Director General (Safeguards) to hold a Public Hearing in the safeguard investigation concerning increased imports of 'Unwrought Aluminium (Aluminium not alloyed and Aluminium alloys)' into India on September 29, 2016," the Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) said.
On the basis of preliminary findings, DGS observed that increased imports of the product had caused "serious injury and threat of serious injury" to domestic industry.
As a result, the domestic industry incurred financial losses in recent period 2015-16, it had said while recommending preliminary safeguard duty on the imports for 200 days in April this year.

While recommending the duty, DGS had said that a public hearing will be held "before making a final determination".
Earlier, Vedanta Ltd-Aluminium and Power, Bharat Aluminium Company and Hindalco Industries had moved DGS for imposition of safeguard duty on imports of unwrought aluminium.
The imports of unwrought aluminium increased from 2,42,533 MT in 2011-12 to 4,32,370 MT till 2015-16 (annualised) recording an increase of 78 per cent. The most recent increase, between 2014-15 to 2015-16, has been quite sharp and significant, the said.
The product is imported from a number of countries such as the UAE, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Thailand.