U.S.Starts anti-dumping probe into PTFE resin from India 

U.S.Starts anti-dumping probe into PTFE resin from India 

Context:

• The U.S. has initiated anti-dumping duty investigations against import of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin from India and China.

Why the step has been taken?

• Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry.
• They are not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in cost of products.

What is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)?

• Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications.

Usage:

• PTFE is used as a non-stick coating for pans and other cookware.
• It is non-reactive, partly because of the strength of carbon-fluorine bonds, and so it is often used in containers and pipework for reactive and corrosive chemicals.

Import and export between India and the U.S:

Exports

• India was the United States’ 18th largest goods export market in 2016.
• The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2016 were: precious metal and stone (diamonds), machinery, optical and medical instruments, mineral fuels, and electrical machinery.
• Leading agricultural domestic export categories include: tree nuts, cotton, pulses, fresh fruit, and planting seeds.
• Leading services exports from the U.S. to India, in 2015, were in the travel, transport, and intellectual property (computer software, audio and visual related products) sectors.

Imports

• India was the United States’ 9th largest supplier of goods imports in 2016.
• The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2016 were: precious metal and stone (diamonds), pharmaceuticals, mineral fuels, miscellaneous textile articles, and machinery.
• Leading agricultural categories of imports include: spices, rice, tree nuts, essential oils, and processed fruit & vegetables.
• Leading services imports from India to the U.S., in 2015, were in the telecommunications, computer, and information services, travel, and research and development sectors.