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Commerce ministry begins anti-dumping probe against ursodeoxycholic acid imported from China & South Korea
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Laxmi Yadav, Mumbai
January 28 , 2022
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The Union commerce ministry has initiated anti-dumping probe against ursodeoxycholic acid, a chemical used in drug industry, imported from China and South Korea, following a complaint filed by Arch Pharma Labs.
Ursodeoxycholic acid is also known as Ursodiol or UDCA. It is used as medical therapy in gallstone disease (cholelithiasis) and for biliary sludge. It may be given after bariatric surgery to prevent cholelithiasis. UDCA is also used as a therapy in primary biliary cholangitis where it can produce an improvement in biomarkers. It is also used to treat primary sclerosing cholangitis. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, bile reflux gastritis etc.
The probe is being conducted by the ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).
The domestic company Arch Pharma Labs has filed an application before the DGTR seeking an anti-dumping probe concerning imports of UDCA from China and South Korea.
The applicant alleged that the dumping of the chemical has affected the domestic industry.
The applicant is the major producer of UDCA (more than 95 per cent) in India. Another producer is IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
The applicant claimed that its performance has been severely impacted in the form of low production, sales and market share and significant losses, cash losses and negative return on capital employed.
On the basis of the duly substantiated written application by or on behalf of the domestic industry, and having satisfied itself, on the basis of the prima facie evidence submitted about the dumping, the DGTR has initiated the investigations, according to a notification of the directorate.
The proposed period of investigation is from October 2020 to September 2021. The injury investigation period for the present investigation will be 2018-2021 and period of investigation.
If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to the domestic players, the DGTR would recommend the imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports from China.
The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose the duties.
Countries conduct anti-dumping investigations to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports. As a countermeasure, they impose these duties under the multilateral regime of the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. India has already imposed an anti-dumping duty on several products to cope up with cheap imports from various countries, including China.
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