Product Description – The product under consideration is titanium dioxide, excluding food, pharma, skin-care, textile and fibre application and nano or ultrafine titanium dioxide having particle size below 100 nm.
It is the brightest and whitest of the known pigments, used in applications like paints & coatings, plastics, papers, rubbers and inks on account of its high refractive index and UV resistance. The pigment also finds application as energy saver as it reduces the need of air conditioning because of light reflecting qualities when used in paint coatings on the outside of buildings in warm climates.
HS Codes – 28230010, 32061110 and 32061190.
Country Involved – China PR
Applicants – Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd., Travancore Titanium Products Ltd. and VV Titanium Pigments Pvt. Ltd.
Date of Initiation – 28th March 2024
Period of Investigation – 1st October 2022 to 30th September 2023
Injury Period – 1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021, 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022,
1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023 and the period of investigation.
Margins and Recommended Duties:
| SN | Producer(s) | Dumping Margin (%) | Injury Margin (%) | Duty ($/MT) |
| M/s Anhui Gold Star Titanium Dioxide (Group) Co., Ltd. | 60-70 | 20-30 | 609 | |
| M/s Anhui Gold Star Titanium Dioxide Trading Co., Ltd. | 60-70 | 20-30 | 609 | |
| M/s Shandong Jinhai Titanium Resources Technology Co., Ltd. | 40-50 | 20-30 | 563 | |
| M/s Shandong Xianghai Titanium Co., Ltd. | 40-50 | 20-30 | 563 | |
| M/s LB Xiangyang Titanium Industry Co Ltd. | 35-45 | 15-25 | 460 | |
| M/s LB Sichuan Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. | 35-45 | 15-25 | 460 | |
| M/s LB Lufeng Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. | 35-45 | 15-25 | 460 | |
| M/s LB Group Co., Ltd. | 35-45 | 15-25 | 460 | |
| M/s Henan Billions Advanced Material Co., Ltd. | 35-45 | 15-25 | 460 | |
| Non-Sampled Cooperative Producers/Exporters | 40-50 | 15-25 | 510 | |
| Any other producer | 90-100 | 25-35 | 681 |
Key Findings:
- The product under consideration is “Titanium dioxide”. PCNs have been accorded to Rutile-Chloride, Rutile-Sulphate and Anatase-Sulphate making up the scope of product.
- The applicants are the only producers of subject goods in the POI in the country. The application satisfied the criteria of standing in terms of Rule 5(3).
- The PUC has been exported to India at a price below the normal value, resulting in dumping. Dumping margin is above de-minimis level and significant.
- The imports from subject country increased by 54% during POI, compared to base year. There is an increase in imports in absolute and relative terms. Share of imports from other countries during same period, have declined.
- The increase in cost of sales was much higher than the increase in selling price of the subject goods. Subject imports have caused significant price suppression in the domestic market.
- Production and capacity utilisation increased from the base year to 2021-22 and thereafter declined significantly till POI. Capacity utilisation is low despite high demand in the country.
- Domestic Industry has not been able to increase production and sales due to dumping.
- Market share of subject imports has increased significantly over the injury period, while that of the domestic industry has declined.
- The domestic Industry’s profitability and ROCE has been adversely affected with a negative ROI and losses in 2022-23 and in the POI.
- Inventories of domestic industry has been increasing, with significant rise in POI, despite reduction of production over injury period.
- Imports have led to an adverse effect on the growth of the domestic industry in respect of both volume and price parameters.
- No other factor has caused injury to the domestic industry. Domestic industry has suffered material injury as a result of the dumped imports of the subject goods from subject country, and is facing threat of injury from subject country.
- The impact of recommended duties on the end users would be insignificant.
- The Authority recommended the imposition of anti-dumping duty for a period of five 5 years.
