Custom safeguard duty imposed on the final findings of Director General (Safeguards) on goods under heading 7208/tariff item 7225 30 90 1st Schedule

Government of India
Ministry of Finance
(Department of Revenue) Notification
No. 1/2016-Customs (SG)

New Delhi, the 29th March, 2016

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, had come to the conclusion that increased imports of subject goods into India has caused and threatened to cause serious injury to the domestic industry and producers of subject goods, thereby necessitating the imposition of provisional safeguard duty on imports of the subject goods into India;

And whereas, on the basis of the aforesaid findings of the Director General (Safeguard), the Central Government has imposed provisional safeguard duty on import of the subject goods into India for a period of two hundred days with effect from the 14th day of September, 2015 vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 2/2015-Customs (SG), dated the 14th September, 2015 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number GSR 694 (E), dated the 14th September, 2015;

And whereas, in the final findings vide number G.S.R. 308(E), dated the 15th March, 2016, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), the Director General (Safeguard) has recommended the imposition of safeguard duty on subject goods falling under heading 7208 or tariff item 7225 30 90 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act for a period of two years and six months from the date of levy of provisional safeguard duty;

Now, Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 8B of the Customs Tariff Act, read with rules 12, 14 and 17 of the Customs Tariff (Identification and Assessment of Safeguard Duty) Rules, 1997 and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 2/2015- Customs(SG), dated the14th September, 2015 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number GSR 694 (E), dated the 14th September, 2015, the Central Government, after considering the said findings of the Director General (Safeguards) and subject to the provisions of paragraph 2, 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 safeguard duty at the following rate, namely:-

(a) twenty per cent ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from 14th September, 2015 to 13th September, 2016 (both days inclusive);

(b) eighteen per cent ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from 14th September, 2016 to 13th March, 2017 (both days inclusive);

(c) fifteen per cent ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from 14th March, 2017 to 13th September, 2017 (both days inclusive); and

(d) ten per cent ad valorem minus anti-dumping duty payable, if any, when imported during the period from 14th September, 2017 to 13th March, 2018 (both days inclusive).

2. The safeguard duty shall not be imposed on the subject goods which are imported at or above the Minimum Import Price in terms of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of Commerce) (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) No. 38/2015-2020, dated the 5th February, 2016 published in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii) vide S.O. 391(E) dated the 5th February, 2016.

3. Nothing contained in this notification shall apply to imports of subject goods from countries notified as developing countries under clause (a) of sub-section (6) of section 8B of the Customs Tariff Act, other than People’s Republic of China and Ukraine.

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.354/219/2015-TRU]
(Anurag Sehgal)
Under Secretary to the Government of India