India Imposes Countervailing Duty on Printing Plates

The Ministry of Finance has imposed countervailing duties on Digital Offset Printing Plates imported from China PR and Taiwan for a period of five years. This decision, effective June 27, 2025, follows an investigation by the designated authority, which concluded that these plates were exported to India at subsidized prices, posing a threat of material injury to the domestic industry. The duties vary by producer and country of origin/export, ranging from NIL to 1.16 USD per square meter. Specific producers like Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co. Ltd., Fujifilm Printing Plate (China) Co. Ltd., and others from China PR, along with all producers from Taiwan, are subject to these duties. Notably, the notification specifies how the countervailing duty interacts with any existing anti-dumping duty, ensuring that the combined duty does not exceed the injury margin in certain cases. The measure excludes waterless CtP Plates used for specialized printing.

MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(Department Of Revenue)

Notification No. 05/2025 – Customs (CVD) | Dated: 27th June, 2025

G.S.R. 424(E).— Whereas in the matter of ‘Digital Offset Printing Plates’ (hereinafter referred to as the subject goods) falling under sub-heading/tariff items 8442 50, 3701 30 00, 3704 00 90, 3705 00 00, 7606 11 90, 7606 91 90 and 7606 92 90 of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975) (hereinafter referred to as the Customs Tariff Act), originating in, or exported from China PR and Taiwan (hereinafter referred to as the subject countries), and imported into India, the designated authority in its final findings, vide notification No. 06/25/2023-DGTR, dated the 28^th March, 2025, read with corrigendum dated 12^th June, 2025 and 26^th June, 2025 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part I, Section 1, has inter-alia come to the conclusion that—

(i) the subject goods have been exported to India from the subject countries at subsidized prices;

(ii) there is threat of material injury to the domestic industry on account of subject imports from subject countries;

(iii) the threat of material injury has been caused by the subsidized imports of subject goods from the subject countries,

and has recommended imposition of countervailing duty on the imports of subject goods, originating in, or exported from the subject countries and imported into India.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (6) of section 9 of the Customs Tariff Act read with rules 20 and 22 of the Customs Tariff (Identification, Assessment and Collection of Countervailing Duty on Subsidized Articles and for Determination of Injury) Rules, 1995, the Central Government, after considering the aforesaid final findings of the designated authority, hereby imposes on the subject goods, the description of which is specified in column (3) of the Table below, falling under sub-heading/tariff items of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act as specified in the corresponding entry in column (2), originating in the countries as specified in the corresponding entry in column (4), exported from the countries as specified in the corresponding entry in column (5), produced by the producers as specified in the corresponding entry in column (6), and imported into India, a countervailing duty at the rate equal to the amount as specified in the corresponding entry in column (7), in the currency as specified in the corresponding entry in column (9) and as per unit of measurement as specified in the corresponding entry in column (8), of the said Table, namely:-

TABLE

*Excluding waterless CtP Plates used for printing on specialised materials such as credit card, security card etc., and not on paper.

Note 1: For serial numbers 1, 3, 7 and 8 above, the amount of countervailing duty to be imposed is equivalent to the difference between the quantum of countervailing duty mentioned in column (7) and anti-dumping duty payable, if any (i.e., CVD=Duty mentioned in column (7) above minus ADD, if any) under Notification No. 28/2024-Customs (ADD) dated 26.12.2024.

Note 2: For serial numbers 2 and 4 above, the amount of countervailing duty to be imposed would be the countervailing duty mentioned in column (7) minus antidumping duty payable, if any under Notification No. 28/2024-Customs (ADD) dated 26.12.2024. (i.e. CVD= Duty in column (7) above minus ADD, if any). As the differential amount is negative or zero, no countervailing duty shall be collected in such cases.

Note 3 : For serial numbers 5 and 6, since the sum of countervailing duty and anti-dumping duty exceed the injury margin, therefore, the quantum of countervailing duty to be imposed would be equivalent to the difference between the quantum of injury margin and anti-dumping duty mentioned in column (7) (at S. No. 6 residual category of Notification No. 28/2024-Customs (ADD) dated 26.12.2024). Accordingly, for producer at serial number 5 the differential duty of 0.01 USD/SQM, and for producer at serial no. 6 the differential duty of 0.31 USD/SQM would be payable as countervailing duty.

Note 4 : For serial numbers 9 and 10, the quantum of countervailing duty to be imposed is in addition to the anti-dumping duty payable as the recommended subsidy margin and anti-dumping duty are less than the injury margin. (i.e. CVD = Duty mentioned in column (7) above)

2. The countervailing duty imposed under this notification shall be levied for a period of five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier) from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, and shall be payable in Indian currency.

Explanation. – For the purposes of this notification, rate of exchange applicable for the purposes of calculation of such countervailing duty shall be the rate which is specified in the notification of the Government of India, in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), issued from time to time, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 14 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), and the relevant date for the determination of the rate of exchange shall be the date of presentation of the bill of entry under section 46 of the said Act.

[F. No. 190354/77/2025-TRU]
DHEERAJ SHARMA, Under Secy.