Centre assures Keralam of anti-dumping duty on Chinese titanium dioxide

The Union government has assured that measures will be taken to impose anti-dumping duty on Chinese titanium dioxide imports, according to N.K. Premachandran, an MP. The assurance came after discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Revenue Secretary Arvind Srivastava, as well as representatives from trade unions in New Delhi.

The domestic titanium dioxide industry in Keralam is struggling due to low-priced imports from China, which has adversely affected public sector enterprises like Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) and Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL). The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) issued its final findings on titanium dioxide imports on February 12, 2025, with a subsequent court verdict leading to remand proceedings.

The DGTR finally released its findings on August 3, 2026, making it urgent to complete necessary actions and issue a gazette notification imposing anti-dumping duty. This move is crucial to support the domestic manufacturing sector, which faces production, capacity utilization, market share, and financial stability challenges. KMML, which employs around 3,000 people directly and indirectly, is particularly vulnerable as it grapples with the crisis.

While there are potential opportunities for expansion in the titanium dioxide industry, current market conditions make it difficult to advance such investments. The MP has urged the Union government to swiftly implement the anti-dumping duty on Chinese titanium dioxide imports, ensuring a level playing field for domestic producers, protecting jobs, and safeguarding the survival of Keralam's public sector undertakings.