DGS proposes a 200-day duty on imports of solar cells

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Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla today informed Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Parliament) that the government has moved to impose a safeguard duty on solar panel imports for a period of 200 days.

The Director General of Safeguards (DGS) office has submitted its preliminary findings to the standing board headed by the commerce secretary.

The minister said that safeguards duty will protect the country’s indigenous industry from effects of a steep rise in imports of a product.

In his written submission to the House the minister informed that DGS had initiated the process of safeguards last December.

“The preliminary findings dated January 5 were submitted to the standing board on safeguards recommending imposition of provisional safeguard duty on the imports of solar cells whether or not assembled in modules or panels for a period of 200 days,” the minister was quoted by PTI as saying.

The commerce secretary heads the standing board while the final decision on imposition of the duty rests with the union ministry of finance.

The minister said that currently India imports solar cells from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan and over 90% of the country’s inbound shipments come from these 4 countries.

Though the provisional duty recommendations exempt imports from developing countries except China and Malaysia, there are several countries such as Thailand and Vietnam from where the imports can still be carried out.