All India Stainless Steel Industries Association has announced that stainless steel cookware, kitchen equipment and cutlery manufacturers and exporters in the country already facing pressures due to the global downturn and steep declines in exports have sought immediate intervention of Commerce Minister for immediate dropping of Anti Dumping proceedings initiated by Directorate General of Anti Dumping & Allied Duties under Ministry of Commerce against import of certain grades of Cold Rolled Stainless Steel widely used by the highly export oriented industry.

Mr Paresh Mehta secretary of All India Stainless Steel Industries Association said that "The ADAD has initiated proceedings on the basis of grossly misleading information provided by the single applicant JSL and their associate companies. As per Anti Dumping rules domestic applicants demanding anti dumping duty has to have a minimum share of 50% of the domestic market of the products being imported. The hard fact is applicant JSL and their associates manufacture less than Two per cent and therefore the anti dumping duty proceedings have been initiated by violating all the norms."

He added that "More than 10,000 end user stainless steel utensil and Cutlery manufacturing and exporting units employing about 300,000 workers across the country, mostly concentrated in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat are already facing problems due to the earlier Anti dumping duty on imports of stainless steel coils the basic raw material for utensils and kitchenware imposed by Ministry of commerce to protect the interests of a single family owned local manufacturer JSL."

Mr Anil Agrawal from AISSIA said that "It is surprising that DGAD continues to start investigations without verifying the false data submitted by JSL and their associates. Why these are not verified and how the investigations begin without the public document being incomplete with missing annexure and enclosures yet to be received by DGAD from complainants. Industry has urged the Ministry of Commerce to immediately drop anti dumping duty proceedings on stainless steel cold rolled products below 600mm width which is started without fulfilling the basic norms."

Ministry of Commerce has initiated anti dumping proceedings against import of CRSS of under 600 mm width at the behest of single domestic manufacturer Jindal Stainless Limited and two of JSL's downstream re rollers which are originating from various countries including China, Europe, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and USA.