The forum of Acrylic Fibre Manufacturers' Association, in its petition to the designated authority in commerce ministry, has said that the dumping margin assessed earlier by the government had changed. The government had imposed an anti-dumping duty ranging between Rs 6.30 and Rs 42.93 per kg of acrylic fibre on October 14, 1997.

The authority is satisfied with the need for reviewing anti-dumping duty on acrylic fibre imports from the three countries in view of the changed cicumstances, commerce ministry sources said.

The sources said a mid-term review of the case was anyway due in 1999 and the review undertaken now would also be treated as a mid-term review. The period of investigation for the purpose of review would be between April 1, 1998 and March 31, 1999.

Apart from theanti-dumping duty imposed on imports from the three countries, the authority had already imposed final duties on exports from Japan, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

The finance ministry on Monday imposed a controversial floor price-related anti-dumping duty on Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), a vital raw material for the tyre industry. The duty will be in vogue till October 25, 1999.

The ministry notification says the duty has become necessary because "SDR from Japan, Turkey, France, USA, Germany and Korea has been exported to India at below normal values, resulting in dumping". The notification goes on to state that "Indian industry has suffered material injury caused cumulatively by imports from subject countries".

Domestic production of SBR is around 30,000 tonnes. Total tyre and non-tyre consumption is 55,000 tonnes. There is only one tyre grade manufacturer in India, namely Synthetics & Chemicals, Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

The ministry has notified a set of prices, which will act as floor values forimports. The difference between the floor price and the landed price (if lower) of SBR will be the extent of duty. In other words, no SBR can be imported into the country at values less than what has been announced on Monday. The notification has drawn a sharp reaction from the tyre industry.

Said Rajiv Budhraja, secretary general of the Automotive Manufacturers Association, "As compared to the intended 5-10 per cent impact, the actual impact on prices will end up being around 50 per cent."