
India plans curbs on cheap API imports from China to shield TB drug makers
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India plans to impose anti-dumping duties on ethambutol hydrochloride—a critical input used in tuberculosis (TB) medicines—to curb cheap imports from China and Thailand, according to a government order reviewed by Mint.
As per the order, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in its preliminary investigation has found prima facie evidence that imports of ethambutol hydrochloride from China and Thailand were entering the Indian market at artificially depressed prices, causing material injury to the domestic industry. The DGTR functions under the Union commerce ministry's Department of Commerce.
As per commerce ministry data, imports of ethambutol hydrochloride from China and Thailand were negligible until FY24, but it rose sharply in FY25, with total imports jumping from $0.14 million to $4.50 million in a single year. As per the order, the DGTR has recommended the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duties ranging from $5,124 to $6,513 per tonne.
The proposed duty is $5,124 per tonne on imports from China’s Wuhan Wuyao Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd, $6,096 per tonne on imports from other Chinese producers and exporters, and $6,513 per tonne on imports from Thailand, irrespective of the producer.
“Anti-dumping duty on critical TB drug APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) is a necessary policy intervention to address market distortions caused by sustained low-priced imports and to safeguard domestic manufacturing capability. Strengthening local API production is essential not only for self-reliance but also for ensuring uninterrupted access to essential medicines for both domestic and global TB programmes," said Arun Kumar Jha, chancellor, National Institute of
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