Safeguard Duty on Hot Rolled Flat Products of Non-Alloy and Other Alloy Steel

On the representations of the domestic steel industry, the Director General of Safeguards had initiated safeguard investigations into alleged increased imports and consequent injury to domestic industry and issued a preliminary finding dated 09.09.2015 recommending imposition of provisional safeguard duty at the rate of 20 % ad-valorem, for a period of 200 days on “Hot rolled flat products of non-alloy and other alloy steel in coils of a width of 600 mm or more” classifiable under heading 7208 or tariff item 7225 30 90 Chapter 72 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.The recommendations of the DG Safeguards were examined by the Standing Board on Safeguards, which after due deliberations confirmed the recommendations of the Director General of Safeguards for levy of provisional safeguard duty of 20% ad-valorem for 200 days on such goods.

The Central Government after examination has accepted the findings of DG (Safeguard). Accordingly, Notification is being issued imposing a provisional Safeguard duty effective from today on Hot-rolled flat products of non-alloy and other alloy Steel in coils of a width of 600 mm or more [falling under heading 7208 or tariff item 7225 30 90] at the rate of 20% (twenty percent) ad-valorem for a period of 200 days.

[TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE OF INDIA, EXTRAORDINARY, PART II, SECTION 3, SUB-SECTION (i)]

Government of India
Ministry of Finance
(Department of Revenue)

Notification No. 2/2015-Customs (SG)

New Delhi, Dated-14th September, 2015

G.S.R. (E). – Whereas, in the matter of import of “Hot-rolled flat products of non-alloy and other alloy Steel in coils of a width of 600 mm or more” (hereinafter referred to as the subject goods), falling under heading 7208 or tariff item 7225 30 90 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) (hereinafter referred to as the Customs Tariff Act), the Director General (Safeguard), in his preliminary findings, published vide number G.S.R. 690 (E), dated the 9th September, 2015, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub­section (i), dated the 9th September, 2015, has come to the conclusion that increased imports of subject goods into India has caused and threatened to cause serious injury to the domestic industry/producers of subject goods, and any delay in application for provisional Safeguard duty would cause damage which would be difficult to repair, necessitating the imposition of provisional safeguard duty on imports of subject goods into India, and accordingly has recommended the imposition of provisional safeguard duty on imports of the subject goods into India;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 8B of the said Customs Tariff Act, read with rules 10 and 14 of the Customs Tariff (Identification and Assessment of Safeguard Duty) Rules, 1997, the Central Government after considering the said findings of the Director General (Safeguards), hereby imposes on subject goods falling under heading 7208 or tariff item 7225 30 90 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, when imported into India, a provisional safeguard duty at the rate of twenty per cent. ad valorem.

2. The safeguard duty imposed under this notification shall be effective for a period of two hundred days (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier) from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette.

Explanation: The following are not included in the scope of subject goods:

a) Hot-rolled flat products of steel with nominal width less than 600mm;

b) API grade steel;

c) Silicon electrical steel;

d) Hot-rolled flat products of steel of spring steel quality;

e) Hot-rolled flat products of steel which are electrolytically plated or coated with zinc;

f) Hot-rolled flat products of steel otherwise plated or coated with zinc; and

g) Hot-rolled flat products of stainless steel.

[F.No.3 54/219/201 5-TRU]

(Akshay Joshi)

Under Secretary to the Government of India