National Tariff Commission of Pakistan has initiated proceedings to impose anti-dumping duty on import of hydrogen peroxide from Bangladesh, commerce ministry officials said. They said that the NTC had already issued a notice of initiation on April 28 and invited the interested parties to attend hearing on the issue. ‘Bangladesh Tariff Commission on behalf of the government and exporters will become parties in the hearing and fight against the allegation of dumping the product as the allegation is not true,’ a senior official of the commerce ministry told New Age on Monday. BTC and the exporters have already informed it to the NTC, he said. Dumping occurs when a company exports a product to any country at prices lower than the normal value (the domestic price or the cost of production) of the product on its domestic market. According to the World Trade Organisation, the importing country can impose anti-dumping duty on import of the product if it finds proof upon investigation that dumping has occurred, such dumping has caused or is causing material injury to the domestic industry and there is a causal link between the dumping and the injury found. Anti-dumping duty cannot be imposed if the conditions are not met. Exporters and trade officials said that hydrogen peroxide is used in bleaching and sterilising process in textile and paper and pulp industry. It is also generally used in bleaching, oxidizing, detoxifying and deodorising purposes. Bangladesh in July-April of the current fiscal year 2014-2015 exported the product worth around $6.5 million in different countries including Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Pakistan is the second largest importer of the product from Bangladesh taking item worth more than $1.2 million. In July-April, India imported the product worth around $4.5 million from Bangladesh. Samuda Chamical Complex Ltd, ASM Chemical Industries and Tasnim Chemical Industries are the major exporters of the product from the country. ASM Chemical Industries managing director Rajibul Huq Chowdhury told New Age that they were jointly handling the issue and had already notified the NTC to become interested parties in the hearing. The NTC initiated the investigation following an allegation by a local manufacturer that the item was being exported to Pakistan at dumped prices from Bangladesh. Commerce ministry officials said that All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, however, requested the NTC not to impose any such duty without hearing its arguments for the betterment of industry and business of Pakistan. According to the proceedings of imposition of anti-dumping duty, the NTC will seek information, comments and documents from the interested parties including manufacturers, importers and exporters. And then, it will arrange hearing on the issue before taking decision on imposing anti-dumping duty on the product. The NTC will complete the investigation within 180 days from the date of initiation of the investigation.
