The Kerala Master Printers Association (KMPA) has reacted strongly on the petition filed by Technova Imaging Systems for levying anti-dumping duty on the digital offset printing plates being imported from Japan and China. The members of KMPA met on 13 August, 2011 and discussed the issue. Technova is demanding duty to be levied as high as 73% (on plates imported from Japan) and 77% (on the plates imported from China) of the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value for imports respectively.

The common realisation of the KPMA members was that if there were few players in the market to supply one of the key materials in printing, the prices, supply and services would be in check.

“But after implementation of anti-dumping duty, the possibility of a monopolistic player calling the shots is a clear obviousity. The argument that the competitors’ plates are being dumped and being cheaply priced is completely false as both Kodak and Fuji plates are priced higher than Technova,” said the letter written by KMPA to the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping& Allied Duties (DGAD). The association also said that there was also a common inference that the plates from Fuji and Kodak had superior print quality.

The members of KMPA resolved, “We strongly object to the malicious intention of introducing anti-dumping duty by Technova as it will spell doom to this already fragile print-fraternity and have decided to move the papers to (DGAD) and inform all concerned parties to join this campaign so that a wrong decision is not imposed on the printers of India.”

It must be mentioned that the government has initiated a probe into alleged dumping of digital plates from Japan and China to protect domestic players from cheap imports. The DGAD, an arm of Commerce Ministry, said that sufficient evidences of dumping of the product from these countries are present to justify initiation of an anti-dumping investigation.

“The authority hereby initiates an investigation into the alleged dumping and consequent injury to the domestic industry ... To determine the existence, degree and effect of any alleged dumping and to recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty, which if levied would be adequate to remove injury to the domestic industry,” it said. The period of investigation is April 2010 to March 2011 (12 months), it said, adding it would also cover the periods 2007 to 08, 2008 to 09, 2009 to 10 and 2010 to 11.