Creation of Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in Department of Commerce

[MoC&I Press Release dated 17 May 2018]

Department of Commerce formally issued notification for creation of Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Hon’ble Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has given his approval for creation of DGTR in Department of Commerce, consequent upon amendment carried out by Government of India to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 on May 7, 2018 in this regard.

DGTR will be the apex National Authority for administering all trade remedial measures including anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard measures. The DGTR will bring Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied duties (DGAD), Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) and Safeguards (QR) functions of DGFT into its fold by merging them into one single national entity. It will also provide trade defence support to our domestic industry and exporters in dealing with increasing instances of trade remedy investigations instituted against them by other countries.  In the last three years, India initiated more than 130 anti-dumping/countervailing duty/safeguard cases to deal with the rising incidences of unfair trade practices and to provide a level playing field to the domestic industry.

DGTR has been approved with a sanctioned strength of 112 posts drawn from Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied duties of Department of Commerce and Directorate General of Safeguards of CBEC. DGTR will be a multi service organization drawing upon the skill-set of various officers from the field of International Trade, Customs, Revenue, Finance, Economics, Costing and Law. The creation of DGTR will also result in savings of 49 posts to the Government on account of merging DGAD and DGS. This has been in tune with the goal of the Prime Minister to have “Minimum Government Maximum Governance”.

Suresh Prabhu, Commerce and Industry Minister has expressed satisfaction over creation of DGTR, an issue pending since 1997, and has termed it to be manifestation of vision of Prime Minister to provide a level playing field to our domestic industry.