Safeguard Duty of 30% Imposed on Sodium Citrate on Complaint of Single Producer

Imbalance in Citric Acid-Sodium Citrate Price Distorts Market

Parallel Anti-dumping Investigation on Domestic Producer Benefits from Demand Hike as China Fills Void

[Customs Notification No. 04 (SG) dated 31^st December 2014]

Whereas, in the matter of import of Sodium Citrate (hereinafter referred to as the subject goods), falling under tariff item 2918 15 20 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) (hereinafter referred to as the Customs Tariff Act), the Director General (Safeguard), in his final findings, published vide number G.S.R. 663 (E), dated the 16th September, 2014, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), has come to the conclusion that increased imports of Sodium Citrate into India has caused and threatened to cause further serious injury to the domestic producers of Sodium Citrate, necessitating the imposition of safeguard duty on imports of Sodium Citrate into India, and accordingly has recommended the imposition of safeguard duty on imports of the subject goods into India.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 8B of the Customs Tariff Act, read with rules 12, 14 and 17 of the Customs Tariff (Identification and Assessment of Safeguard Duty) Rules, 1997, the Central Government after considering the aforesaid findings of the Director General (Safeguards), hereby imposes on Sodium Citrate falling under tariff item 2918 15 20 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, when imported into India, a safeguard duty at the following rate, namely:-

(a) thirty per cent. ad valorem when imported during the period from 31st December, 2014 to 30th December, 2015 (both days inclusive);

(b) twenty per cent. ad valorem, when imported during the period from 31st December, 2015 to 30th December, 2016 (both days inclusive); and

(c) ten per cent. ad valorem, when imported during the period from 31st December, 2016 to 30th December, 2017 (both days inclusive).

2. Nothing contained in this notification shall apply to imports of Sodium Citrate from countries notified as developing countries under clause (a) of sub-section (6) of section 8B of the Customs Tariff Act, other than the People’s Republic of China.

[F.No.354/229/2014-TRU]