If local exporters are found guilty of dumping, Bangladeshi jute and jute goods may be subjected to 25 to 30 per cent duty upon entry to Indian market. This decision comes after the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) concluded its probe into the matter last week, an official of Bangladesh Tariff Commission has reportedly said. The report is likely to be disclosed next week.
Negotiations will start with the Indian government once the official statement is received, he added. Currently, Bangladeshi jute and jute goods enjoy zero-duty benefit on export to the Indian market under the South Asian Free Trade Area agreement. Three years ago, the Indian Jute Mills Association had accused Bangladeshi exporters of selling jute products at prices lower than those in India's domestic market. Then in October last year, the Indian anti-dumping authority started its investigation into the matter.
As a part of the investigation, a team of DGAD visited some factories in Bangladesh and collected data including export prices of the shipped products to India and the sales prices in domestic market, say industry insiders. Officials of the tariff commission attended several hearings in India before the conclusion of investigation.
