India slaps anti-dumping duties on key chemical imports from China, EU, Japan, and Switzerland
New Delhi: The government has imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of Vitamin-A Palmitate and Insoluble Sulphur from China, Japan, Switzerland and the European Union (EU), aiming to shield domestic manufacturers from low-priced imports that regulators say are hurting local industry.
According to a finance ministry notification issued late on Friday, the five-year duties follow investigations by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which found that both substances were being exported to India at unfairly low prices, below cost or fair market value, and were undercutting Indian producers.
These products are critical inputs for sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and tyre manufacturing.
For Vitamin-A Palmitate—used in fortified foods, nutraceuticals and pharma formulations—the DGTR found 'material injury' to domestic producers due to large-scale dumping from China, the EU and Switzerland. The compound, widely used in small dosages, continues to be largely import-dependent in India.
Effective immediately, duties will range from $0.87 to $20.87 per kg. The highest duty has been imposed on Chinese exporters other than Shangyu NHU BioChem Co. Ltd., which will face a lower rate of $14.95/kg. Swiss producer DSM Nutritional Products Ltd will attract a duty of $0.87/kg, while other Swiss exporters will face $8.2/kg. A flat rate of $11.09/kg will apply to imports from the EU.
Vitamin-A Palmitate in the strength of 1.6 MIU/Gm, used for animal feed, has been excluded from the levy.
India imported $48.6 million worth of Vitamin-A Palmitate in FY25, with the bulk of the shipments coming from China and Europe, according to commerce ministry data.
While the move comes as a relief for domestic Vitamin-A makers, industry players flagged India's broader dependence on imports for this compound, which is crucial for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.
'While the anti-dumping duty provides protection to domestic manufacturers of the compound, it could raise input costs for drug makers in the short term, especially those relying on imports from Switzerland and China,' said Yogendra Sharma, a drug manufacturer. 'However, the price impact is expected to be manageable given that Vitamin-A is used in small dosages and accounts for a minor fraction of total formulation cost.'
'With global supply chains realigning, India is now far more proactive in using WTO-compliant instruments to protect its domestic industry. The Vitamin-A Palmitate case is another example of this assertiveness,' said Manish Kr Shubhay, a multidisciplinary dispute resolution expert and Partner at The Percept Law Offices.
The anti-dumping duties are payable in Indian currency, based on the exchange rate notified by the Revenue Department on the date of filing the bill of entry.
In a related notification, the government also slapped five-year anti-dumping duties on imports of Insoluble Sulphur from China and Japan, used primarily by tyre manufacturers to improve rubber vulcanization.
DGTR's investigation found that exporters from both countries were dumping the product at depressed prices, adversely affecting profitability and pricing power of Indian producers.
Depending on the exporter, the duties range from $259 to $358 per metric tonne. Chinese imports will face a flat $307/MT levy. Among Japanese exporters, Shikoku Chemicals will be charged $259/MT, while all others will attract the highest rate of $358/MT.
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