Centre likely to impose 25% safeguard duty on single-mode optical fibre

The Centre is likely to impose a 25 per cent import safeguard duty on single-mode optical fibre, and a notification on the same is expected soon, Business Standard has learnt.

 Late last year, companies like Sterlite Technologies and Birla Furukawa Fibre had filed an application with the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) seeking imposition of safeguard duty on the fibre.

Imports in the category jumped three times to $ 180 million in 2018-19, from only $51.3 million in the preceding year. The sudden spike is because of the government buying the fibre for its BharatNet programme. 

In November, the DGTR had proposed