DGTR to Hold Public Hearing on Safeguard Duty Investigation on June 26

The directorate is mandated to investigate the existence of serious injury or threat of serious injury to the domestic industry as a consequence of increased import of an article into India. India is targeting up to 100 gigawatts (GW) solar capacity by 2022.

Under the Commerce Ministry, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) will hold a public hearing on safeguard duty investigation of solar cells on 26 June.

The meeting will commence with the agenda of highlighting the issues of solar manufacturers of the country.  It has significance because the solar manufacturers have been demanding the imposition of safeguard duty on imports of solar cells and modules. The meeting will be presided by Sunil Kumar, Additional Secretary in the Ministry.

Kumar “will hold a public hearing on June 26”, the DGTR said in a notice.  Earlier the Directorate General of Safeguards, which is now subsumed in DGTR, had recommended imposition of a duty on imports of solar cells for a period of 200 days.

The directorate is mandated to investigate the existence of serious injury or threat of serious injury to the domestic industry as a consequence of increased import of an article into India. India is targeting up to 100 gigawatts (GW) solar capacity by 2022.

Solar cells, electrical devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity, are imported primarily from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Imports of the cells from these countries account for more than 90 percent of the total inbound shipments in the country.