India probes dumping of dialysis filters from China, Malaysia; weighs import duties

India has opened an anti-dumping investigation into imports of dialysers from China and Malaysia, amid rising concerns over a flood of cheap medical devices into the domestic market. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has initiated the probe following complaints from local manufacturers that low-priced imports are undercutting domestic prices and causing injury to the Indian industry.

Dialysers, also known as artificial kidneys, are disposable medical devices used in haemodialysis to remove waste solutes, excess fluid and toxins from the blood of patients with renal failure. They are critical, life-saving consumables and form an indispensable part of the haemodialysis system in hospitals and dialysis centres.

Under India’s trade-remedy framework, DGTR examines whether products are being exported to India at unfairly low prices (below normal value in the exporting country) and whether such dumping has caused material injury to domestic producers. If the investigation establishes both dumping and injury, DGTR may recommend the imposition of anti-dumping duties on dialyser imports from the concerned countries. The Union Finance Ministry takes the final call on imposing these duties, based on DGTR’s findings and recommendations.
MB Bureau