Making it very clear that India did not intend to exploit the low price regime for steel products, union steel secretary AK Basu said, ``we are hopeful of a favourable outcome in the anti-dumping case initiated against India by the US.''

``Since September 1998, we have not exported plates to the US. This is voluntary restriction we have imposed on ourselves to convey that we are not dumping,'' Basu told PTI in an interview.

A preliminary judgement in the anti-dumping case from the US is expected in the last week of this month. Steel Authority of India Ltd (Sail), the supplier of plates and the concerned party in the anti-dumping case, exported about 1.35 lakh tonnes of heavy plates in the pre-September period last year from its Bhilai Steel Plant at an average price of 340 dollars per tonne, whichwas quite above the average market price at that time.

The exports, however, were discontinued after the prices fell below the international prices in September last year, Basu said.

``We have to increase our presence in the exports. But we believe in exporting at international prices and not at dumped prices,'' he added.

Basu and Sail chairman and managing director Arvind Pande had recently visited the US, where they met the US under-secretary and briefed him about India's position. Basu said the US authorities had appreciated India's stand of self-restraint.

Another US judgement on exporting stainless steel wires, which went in India's favour, also vindicated India's stand, Basu said.

This case was also unjustified and therefore, ``we are expecting a favourable decision in this case also,'' he added. India has taken steps to defend its position. Sail has already hired an international law firm Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering to fight its case in the US on its behalf, sources said.

The cost offighting the case, sources added, would depend to a large extent on the ability of Sail's internal organisation to provide accounting and other information in the format required by the US authorities and the issues that the petitioners raise in the investigations.