The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in the Commerce and Industry Ministry has initiated an anti-dumping probe on imports of saccharin from China.
Simultaneously, DGTR has also initiated a sunset review investigation of countervailing duty on imports of saccharin from China.
The application seeking anti-dumping probe as well as the Sunset Review investigation of countervailing duty was filed by Swati Petro Products Ltd and Blue Jet Healthcare Ltd. There are two other producers of saccharin—A.S.Chemopharma and Shree Vardayini Chemical Industries Pvt Ltd.
Saccharin is a non-nutritive sweetener and considered to be low-calorie substitute for cane sugar. Saccharin is used in a variety of industry such as food and beverage, personal care products, tabletop sweeteners, electroplating brighteners, pharmaceuticals.
It may be recalled that the original anti-subsidy investigation was initiated by DGTR on August 10, 2018. The Authority had in June 2019 recommended the imposition of definitive anti-subsidy duties on saccharin imports from China. The revenue department had imposed the definitive measures in August 2019.
DGTR had also in March 2022 initiated an anti-circumvention investigation to determine if the existing countervailing duty be extended to imports of saccharin from Thailand. It had in July 2022 recommended that the countervailing duty be extended to imports from Thailand as well.