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DGTR
Plays Key Role in Protecting Domestic Industry Within WTO Framework
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DGTR’s
Trade Defence Wing Strengthens Protection of Indian Exporters in Global Markets
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DGTR
Initiatives Simplify Access to Trade Remedy Mechanisms for MSMEs and Fragmented
Industries
·
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies
(DGTR) held a media briefing in New Delhi on 10 June 2026 under
the Department of Commerce's media outreach initiative.
·
Additional
Secretary and Director General Trade Remedies, Amitabh Kumar, highlighted DGTR’s role as
India’s integrated trade remedy authority under the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.
·
DGTR
conducts anti-dumping,
anti-subsidy (countervailing), and safeguard investigations in
accordance with Indian laws and World
Trade Organization rules.
·
Trade
remedy measures were described as fair-trade
instruments rather than import restrictions, aimed at
addressing:
o Dumped imports,
o Subsidized imports, and
o Sudden import surges that harm domestic
industry.
·
The
primary objective is to restore
fair competition and create a level playing field for Indian
manufacturers while allowing legitimate imports at fair prices.
·
DGTR
follows a transparent and evidence-based investigation mechanism involving:
o Examination of applications,
o Initiation of investigations,
o Analysis of questionnaire responses,
o Verification of information,
o Oral hearings,
o Disclosure of essential facts, and
o Issuance of final findings.
·
All
stakeholders, including domestic producers, exporters, importers, user
industries, and foreign governments, are given opportunities to participate and
present evidence.
·
DGTR
considers the interests of:
o User industries,
o Downstream sectors, and
o Consumers.
·
It
conducts stakeholder consultations and economic interest assessments before
recommending measures.
·
The
authority follows the Lesser
Duty Rule, recommending duties only to the extent necessary to
remove injury to domestic industry.
·
DGTR’s
Trade Defence Wing,
established in 2016, assists Indian exporters facing anti-dumping,
countervailing duty, and safeguard investigations abroad.
·
The
Wing coordinates with:
o Government ministries,
o State governments,
o Indian missions overseas,
o Export Promotion Councils,
o Commodity Boards,
o Exporters, and
o Legal experts.
·
DGTR
highlighted the launch of SETU
(System for Ensuring Fair Trade through Unified Digital Platform)
on 24 October 2025.
·
The
platform enables:
o Online filing of cases,
o Digital submissions,
o Secure document management,
o Electronic communications, and
o End-to-end digital processing of trade
remedy investigations.
·
SETU
serves as a single-window platform for domestic and international stakeholders.
·
Key
initiatives include:
o Economic Interest Questionnaire,
o Helpdesk and Facilitation Centre,
o Trade Remedies Advisory Cell (TRAC),
o Outreach programmes, and
o Simplified application formats.
·
The
simplified application process introduced through Trade Notice No. 09/2021 has
made trade remedy mechanisms more accessible to fragmented industries and
MSMEs.
·
DGTR
reaffirmed its commitment to fair
trade, transparent investigations, digital governance, and effective trade
defence mechanisms.
·
Trade
remedy measures remain an important policy tool for protecting domestic industry from unfair
trade practices, strengthening manufacturing competitiveness, and supporting a
rules-based global trading system.
The
Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), Department of Commerce, organised
a media briefing on the theme “Trade Remedy Measures: Creating a Level Playing Field
for Indian Industry” at its headquarters in New Delhi on 10 June, 2026. The briefing
was held as part of the Department of Commerce’s media outreach initiative to highlight
key institutional achievements, reforms and policy initiatives.
Addressing
the media Additional Secretary and Director General Trade Remedies (AS&DG),
Shri Amitabh Kumar highlighted DGTR’s role as India’s integrated trade remedy authority
under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He stated that DGTR conducts anti-dumping,
anti-subsidy and safeguard investigations and recommends appropriate measures to
the Government in accordance with domestic laws and India’s obligations under the
World Trade Organization (WTO) framework.
The
AS&DG emphasised that trade remedy measures are instruments of fair trade and
not import restrictions. These measures are employed to address dumped imports,
subsidised imports and sudden surges in imports that cause injury to domestic industry.
He noted that DGTR’s objective is to restore fair competition and ensure a level
playing field for Indian producers while allowing legitimate imports to continue
at fair prices.
Highlighting
DGTR’s transparent and evidence-based investigation process, Shri Kumar explained
that investigations involve examination of applications, initiation of proceedings,
analysis of questionnaire responses, verification of information, oral hearings,
disclosure of essential facts and issuance of final findings. He noted that all
interested parties, including domestic producers, exporters, importers, user industries
and other stakeholders, are provided adequate opportunity to participate and submit
evidence during the course of investigations.
The
AS&DG also underlined DGTR’s balanced approach in trade remedy proceedings.
He stated that the interests of user industries, downstream sectors and consumers
are duly considered through stakeholder consultations, economic interest assessments
and examination of the likely impact of duties. DGTR follows the Lesser Duty Rule,
under which duties are recommended only to the extent necessary to remove injury
to the domestic industry.
A
key achievement highlighted during the briefing was the work of DGTR’s Trade Defence
Wing, established in 2016 to assist Indian exporters facing anti-dumping, countervailing
duty and safeguard investigations in foreign jurisdictions. The Wing serves as a
nodal platform for coordination among administrative Ministries, State Governments,
Indian Missions abroad, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards, exporters and
legal counsels to safeguard India’s trade interests in overseas trade remedy proceedings.
Shri
Kumar also highlighted several recent reforms undertaken by DGTR. The System for
Ensuring Fair Trade through Unified Digital Platform (SETU), launched on 24 October
2025, has enabled end-to-end digital processing of trade remedy cases through online
filing, structured submissions, digital communication and secure document management.
The platform provides a single-window digital interface for domestic producers,
exporters, importers and foreign governments.
Other
initiatives highlighted during the briefing included the Economic Interest Questionnaire,
the Helpdesk and Facilitation Centre, the Trade Remedies Advisory Cell (TRAC), outreach
programmes and simplified application formats for fragmented industries. The AS&DG
noted that the simplified application format introduced through Trade Notice No.
09/2021 dated 29 July 2021 has significantly reduced procedural challenges faced
by fragmented domestic producers and MSMEs in accessing trade remedy mechanisms.
Concluding
the briefing, Shri Kumar reiterated that trade remedy measures play an important
role in addressing unfair trade practices, strengthening domestic manufacturing
and supporting a rules-based international trading system. He affirmed DGTR’s continued
commitment to transparent investigations, stakeholder participation, digital transformation
and effective trade defence support for Indian industry and exporters.