News Excerpt:

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has initiated an anti-dumping investigation on ‘insoluble sulphur’ imports from China and Japan.

More on the news:

• DGTR, the investigation arm of the commerce ministry is probing the alleged dumping of 'Insoluble Sulphur' following a complaint by a domestic player.
• If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to domestic players, the DGTR would recommend the imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports.

• The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose duties.

• Anti-dumping probes are conducted by countries to determine whether domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.
• India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to tackle cheap imports from various countries, including China.

Insoluble Sulphur:

• Insoluble sulphur is an important rubber additive agent.
• It is widely used in the manufacture of tyres, tread, shoes, all kinds of automobile rubber parts and other rubber products. 
• Insoluble sulphur is mainly used as a vulcanisation accelerator and agent in the rubber industry.
• Vulcanization is a chemical process by which the physical properties of natural or synthetic rubber are improved.
• It allows a more solid adhesion of the rubber, prevents the rubber from breaking apart and improves resistance to heat and tyre wear, and is, therefore, an essential raw material in tyre production.