The government is expected to impose anti-dumping duty of up to US$253 per tonne on imports of phenol from Singapore, South Korea and European Union (EU). The move is aimed at protecting the domestic industry from cheap in-bound shipments from these countries.

Phenol is mainly used in the manufacture of resins for laminates, plywood, particle-boards and in the pharmaceuticals industry. The Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) in its investigation has concluded that phenol has been exported to India from these countries below its normal value “thus, resulting in dumping of the product”. “The authority recommends imposition of definitive antidumping duty equal to the lesser of the margin of dumping and the margin of injury, so as to remove the injury to the domestic industry,” DGAD said in a notification. The restrictive duty recommended was in the range of US$77.19 per tonne to US$253.06 per tonne. Hindustan Organic Chemicals and SI Group India Ltd. on behalf of the domestic industry had filed an application for the dumping probe. They had alleged dumping of phenol originating in or exported from the EU, Singapore and South Korea. Imports of phenol from these countries have increased to 84,112-tonnes in 2013-14 from 15,441-tonnes in 2009-10.