NEW DELHI, Aug 11:  Amid rising concerns over imports from China, the domestic alloy steel industry has filed a petition with the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) to consider anti-dumping duties on the cheap inbound shipments, which are posing a challenge to local players.

  The Alloy Steel Producers Association of India (ASPA), which includes leading players Tata Steel and JSW Steel, filed the petition on July 31, Anil Dhawan, the Director General of the industry body told PTI in an interaction.

The DGTR, under Ministry of Commerce, is the apex authority for administering all trade remedial measures, including anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard measures.

“Necessary inputs have been provided in our petition as to how cheap imports from China continue to adversely affect our industry which has made huge investments to cater to the growing local demand from strategic sectors,” Dhawan said.

Thousands of tonnes of alloyed steel wire rod from China are being dumped into the local market at lower cost even as India has sufficient capacity for domestic demand, Dhawan said adding due to this, the industry capacity utilisation remains at 60 per cent only.

Alloyed steel wire rod, a high grade steel product, finds application in sectors like automobiles and defence, among others.

Last month, the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) filed its application with the DGTR to investigate the dumping of stainless steel items in the domestic market from a select group of countries.

The filing of these petitions is a serious issue because on the one hand the government encourages the industry to set up new capacities of high grade steel to take benefit of growing local demand led by government initiatives, while on the other the cheap import players eat up the opportunity.  (PTI)