India Plans Continuation Of Anti-Dumping Duty On Chinese EVA

• DGTR has recommended continuing the ADD imposed on Chinese EVA manufacturers for an additional 5 years 
• It believes revoking the duties will increase the intensity of dumped goods into the Indian market 
• Local manufacturers want the ADD to be continued to be imposed on Chinese companies, and not on producers from Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia 

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in India has proposed continuation of the anti-dumping duty (ADD) against Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) sheets imported from China for an additional 5-year period. It fears 'further aggravated dumping and consequent injury' to the domestic industry if the duty is revoked. 

While there are duties in place against EVA imports from China, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia, the DGTR now says said the domestic industry, led by RenewSys Renewable, has only requested for continuation of duties against China for an additional 5 years. 

For the uninitiated, the DGTR had recommended imposing ADD in the range of $537 to $1,559/MT for a period of 5 years in February 2019 on EVA sheets imported from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, later imposing it in the same year. It was responding to a petition of RenewSys India Private Limited, supported by other companies (see India Recommends ADD On Imported EVA Sheets). 

"There are significant unutilised capacities available with the Chinese exporters. The evidences filed by the domestic industry clearly indicate that there is a "high probability of oversupply" in the EVA market of China," reads the final findings of the DGTR in its sunset review investigation. "However, the data / evidences on record indicates that in the event of cessation of duties, the dumped imports are likely to enter into Indian market with increased intensity." 

Of the Chinese producers that the Indian agency sent out questionnaires to, only Changzhou Sveck Photovoltaic New Material Co Limited responded. The DGTR has recommended ADD of $590/MT as the ADD going forward. Under 'any others' category that includes remaining 11 companies that did not cooperate in the investigations, it recommends an imposition of $897/MT as the ADD.  

Operating under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, DGTR believes post the imposition of duties, the Indian capacity of producing EVAs for solar modules has increased by over 400% with several new producers having come up in the market. Continuation of duties for 5 additional years will provide a level playing field to the domestic producers, it adds in its recommendations. 

India is currently building its domestic solar PV manufacturing industry with financial incentives under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. It, however, supports the local production of polysilicon, ingot, wafer, solar cells and modules, which eventually should pave the way for the entire PV ecosystem to come up. A recent ICRA report sees Indian solar module manufacturing capacity to grow to over 60 GW by 2025 (see Future Bright For Indian Solar PV Manufacturing).