India launches safeguard investigation on “non-alloyed ingots of unwrought aluminium”

On 28 April 2014, India notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 7 April 2014 a safeguard investigation on “not-alloyed ingots of unwrought aluminium” classified under Customs sub-heading nos. 76011010 of Chapter 76 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.

The investigation was initiated on 7 April 2014. The period of investigation is 2010-11 to 2013-14 (up to December 2013). The investigation was initiated following the examination of the safeguard petition of the domestic industry (DI) alleging serious injury and threat thereof caused by increased import of the product under consideration (PUC) into India. Relevant factors having significant bearing on the present deteriorating domestic industry, as claimed by DI, inter-alia, are:

• The import of PUC has shown an increasing trend in absolute terms as well as the relative terms;
• Capacity utilization of the domestic industry has declined in the most recent period;
• Share of domestic industry in domestic consumption and domestic demand has fallen significantly;
• Though sale of the domestic industry increased in 2012-13 as compared to the preceding year 2011-12, it declined from 461,509 MT in 2012-13 to 350,185 MT in 2013-14 (annualized);
• Profitability of the domestic industry has steeply deteriorated, leading to financial losses.

Accordingly, it has been found that prima facie increased imports of PUC have caused or threatening to cause serious injury to the domestic producers of PUC. Hence, it has been decided to initiate the investigation.