EU Imposes Anti-SubsidyDuties On Indian Bed Linens
The European Commission (EC) has proposed to impose anti-subsidy duties aggregating to 8.4 percent on bed linens against eight Indian exporters to the European Union (EU). The exporters include Bombay Dyeing, Prakash Cotton,Vigneswara Mills, BrijMohan Tex, Divya Textiles and Purushotam Das.In spite of the defeat of the anti-dumping probe against Indian bed linen manufacturers before the World Trade Organization appellate body earlier this year, the EC is going ahead with this countervailing duty, which the Indian government calls “unwarranted.”
The European Commission has proposed anti-subsidy duties on eight Indian exporters of bed linens, including Bombay Dyeing.The newly imposed countervailing duty will be added on top of the current customs tariff of 8.4 percent. India says the move will affect Indian exporters’competitiveness. EC’s move hits where it hurts the most for India — bed linen made-ups account for 35 percent of India’s cotton textile exports of about $4 billion in 2002 to 2003.
Winter 2003