K.R. Srivats

New Delhi , Oct 11

The Finance Ministry has imposed provisional anti-dumping duty on non-radial lorry and bus tyres, tubes and flaps imported from China and Thailand.

The provisional anti-dumping duty, which is usually valid for about six months, has been imposed through the reference price route to discourage any under valuation.

In the case of China, the Ministry has pegged the reference price for bias tyres used in lorry and buses at $88.82 per piece. For inner tubes and tyre flaps, the reference price has been pegged at $6.98 and $3.50 respectively.

If non-radial bus and lorry tyres from China were to be imported at less than $88.82 per piece, then the reference price would be the basis on which countervailing and other duties would be levied.

Similarly, the reference price for bias tyres (used in lorries and buses) imports from Thailand has been pegged at $108.27.

The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA), which had filed a petition for initiating an anti-dumping probe on imports of bias tyres from China, said that the reference price of $88.82 was not up to its expectations.

"The anti-dumping duty that has been imposed is lower than anticipated. There is a lag effect as the period of investigation was from April 2005 to June 2006. In the period between June 2006 and now, the cost of production has gone up due to higher oil and natural rubber prices," Mr D. Ravindran, Director-General of ATMA, told Business Line.

On imports of non-radial lorry and bus tyres from Thailand, Mr Ravindran said that there were no large-scale imports from that country.

Although the domestic tyre industry had petitioned for anti-dumping probe on lorry and bus tyre (bias tyres) imports from China, the imports from Thailand also got covered for the investigation as the prices of some import consignments from that country were below Chinese prices.

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