India has decided to impose anti-dumping duties on Sodium cyanide and initiate an anti-dumping investigation on Glufosinate ammonium

On June 27, 2024, the Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Finance of India issued Circular No. 10/2024-Customs(ADD), saying that it accepted the final anti-dumping recommendation made by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India on March 28, 2024 on Sodium cyanide originating in or imported from China, the European Union, Japan and South Korea, and decided to impose anti-dumping duties on the products involved for a period of five years. This case involves products under Indian Customs Code 2837. This measure shall enter into force on the date of publication of this communication in the Official Gazette.

The Chinese producer, Hebei Chengxin Co. Ltd., is $286 per ton and other Chinese producers $554 per ton. The price is US $13 / ton for EU producers Luebni zavody Draslovka a.s. Kolin and US $230 / ton for other EU producers. Japanese producers pay $447 / ton and South Korean producers pay $413 / ton.

On March 31, 2023, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that in response to the application submitted by Indian domestic enterprises Hindusthan Chemical Company and United Phosphorous Limited, Initiate anti-dumping investigations against Sodium cyanide originating in or imported from China, the EU, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The dumping investigation period is from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022 (12 months), The damage survey period is from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 and October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.

The products under investigation are products under Indian Customs Code 283711 and some products under Customs Code 28371990, 28372090, 28372040, 28391100 and 28371910. On March 28, 2024, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notice to make a positive final ruling on the case.

According to Indian Customs data in 2023, Japan is the largest supplier of Sodium cyanide to India, accounting for 51% (about 3,000 tons); China followed with 27% (about 1,500 tons); South Korea, Germany and the Czech Republic accounted for 11%, 9% and 2% respectively. This diversified supply landscape may change as a result of the new policy.

It is worth noting that Sodium cyanide is an important raw material for many pesticides. The pesticides affected include Glufosinate ammonium, triazine herbicides (e.g., Atrazine, Ametryn, Terbuthylazine), Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl, Clethodim, and Azoxystrobin

Pesticide anti-dumping investigation cases initiated by India in recent years:

• On June 19, 2024, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has officially launched an anti-dumping investigation against Glufosinate ammonium products originating in or imported from China, involving any form of Glufosinate ammonium and its salts. The case involves products under Indian Customs Codes 38089190, 38089390 and 38089990. Prior to this, on June 3, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry officially announced that for the customs code 38089390 of Glufosinate ammonium (content 95% or more) products, if the price is lower than CIF1289 rupees/kg (equivalent to 112.3 yuan), will no longer allow imports.

• On March 29, 2024, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry officially launched an anti-dumping investigation against imported herbicide Pretilachlor and its intermediate PEDA originating in China.

• On December 29, 2023, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry initiated the first anti-subsidy sunset review investigation into Atrazine Technical originating in or imported from China. The Indian Customs codes of the products involved are 38089199, 38089390, 38089110 and 38089990.