India’s ceramic tile industry finds itself under scrutiny as U.S. manufacturers, comprising the majority of domestic ceramic tile production, take a decisive step in filing anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions. Their aim? To curb the influx of Indian ceramic tile imports that they argue have undercut fair market prices and disrupted the equilibrium of the tile industry.

The crux of the matter lies in the alleged disparity between the cost of Indian imports and their domestic counterparts. The U.S. industry claims that Indian producers benefit from substantial government subsidies, allowing them to flood the market with low-priced tiles, which they say endangers the livelihoods of American manufacturers and their employees.

Proposed Anti-Dumping & Countervailing Duties on India Ceramic Tile Imports

On April 19, 2024, the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile lodged a petition requesting the imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on ceramic tile imports from India. Allegations within the petition cite dumping margins ranging from 407.78% to 827.60%.

The products under scrutiny encompass various forms of ceramic tiles, including flooring, wall, paving, hearth, porcelain, mosaic, flags, finishing tiles, and similar items. These ceramic tiles are defined as items composed of mineral mixtures, primarily clay, fired to fuse raw materials into a finished product measuring less than 3.2 cm in thickness. The scope of the investigation extends to all ceramic tile regardless of its end use, surface area, weight, glazing, water absorption coefficient, vitrification level, or whether it’s backed. The petition offers detailed scope descriptions and specific product exclusions.

The International Trade Commission’s Preliminary Conference is projected to convene on May 10, 2024. The earliest conceivable dates for retroactive suspension of liquidation are June 28, 2024, for antidumping and May 9, 2024, for countervailing duties.

Source: POOL NEWS