Safeguard Duty of 16% on Soda Ash Extended upto 19 April 2011

[Customs Notification No. 72 dated 28th June 2010]

Whereas, in the matter of import of Soda Ash (hereinafter also referred to as the subject goods), falling under tariff item 2836 20, of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), from People’s Republic of China, the Director General (Safeguards), in its preliminary findings vide number G.S.R. 62 (E), dated the 30th January, 2009, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 30th January, 2009, had come to the conclusion that increased imports of Soda Ash into India from the People’s Republic of China had caused and threatened to cause market disruption to domestic industry of Soda Ash and that this had necessitated the imposition of provisional safeguard duty on imports of Soda Ash into India from People’s Republic of China ;

And whereas, on the basis of the aforesaid findings of the Director General (Safeguards), the Central Government had imposed provisional Safeguard duty on imports of the subject goods vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 37/2009-CUSTOMS, dated the 20th April, 2009, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 20th April, 2009, vide number G.S.R.264 (E), dated the 20th April, 2009;

And whereas, the Director General (Safeguards) in its final findings vide number G.S.R.725(E), dated the 6th October, 2009, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 6th October, 2009 had come to the conclusion that increased imports of Soda Ash into India from the People’s Republic of China had threatened to cause market disruption to the domestic industry of Soda Ash and it necessitated the imposition of definitive safeguard duty on imports of Soda Ash into India from People’s Republic of China;

And whereas, on the basis of the aforesaid findings of the Director General (Safeguards), the Central Government had imposed Safeguard duty on imports of the subject goods vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 122/2009-Customs, dated the 5th November, 2009, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 5th November, 2009, vide number G.S.R.797 (E), dated the 5th November, 2009;

And whereas, the Director General (Safeguards) in its final findings in review proceedings vide number G.S.R.318(E), dated the 13th April, 2010, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 13th April, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as the said findings) had come to the conclusion that threat of market disruption to the domestic industry of Soda Ash continued to exist and it necessitated the continuation of safeguard duty on imports of Soda Ash into India from People’s Republic of China;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), of section 8C of the said Act, and in accordance with the rules 12, 14 and 17 of the Customs Tariff (Transitional Product Specific Safeguard Duty) Rules, 2002, the Central Government after considering the said findings of the Director General (Safeguards), hereby imposes a safeguard duty at the rate of 16% ad valorem on Soda Ash, falling under tariff item 2836 20 of the First Schedule to the said Act, when imported into India from the People’s Republic of China.

2. The Safeguard duty imposed under this notification shall be levied with effect from the date of publication of this notification in Gazette of India, and shall remain in force upto and inclusive of the 19th April, 2011.

[F.No.354/40/2009 –TRU]