Dhaka to appeal to WTO against India’s anti-dumping duty on jute products | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Wednesday
June 18, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Epaper
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025
Dhaka to appeal to WTO against India’s anti-dumping duty on jute products

Trade

Jasim Uddin
22 November, 2019, 09:55 am
Last modified: 22 November, 2019, 10:11 am

Related News

  • Snags, bomb threat lead to 3 India-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliners returning to origin in 36 hours
  • Air India flight's 2nd black box recovered; cockpit voice recorder to aid probe
  • 4 killed, 32 injured after bridge collapses in India's Pune
  • Toddler among seven killed in India chopper crash
  • India orders inspection of Boeing 787s after Air India crash

Dhaka to appeal to WTO against India’s anti-dumping duty on jute products

The Indian government imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from $97.19 to $351.71 per tonne on over 30 jute companies of Bangladesh in January 2017

Jasim Uddin
22 November, 2019, 09:55 am
Last modified: 22 November, 2019, 10:11 am

The government is in the process of appealing to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to get India to remove anti-dumping duties on imports of Bangladeshi jute products. 

The Indian government imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from $97.19 to $351.71 per tonne on all jute companies in Bangladesh in January 2017. 

At the time, 30 Bangladeshi companies were exporting jute products to India and 12 of them appealed to the Indian government to review the duty imposition. 

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

During the appeals, four companies managed to bring down the anti-dumping duties to zero or $20.68 per tonne, while eight others lost on their appeal. 

In the latest round, on November 11, 2019, India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs denied the review appeals of three Bangladeshi companies.

An anti-dumping duty is a tariff imposed by a country on imports that it thinks are priced below the fair market value of similar goods. A government can impose anti-dumping duty when it believes that the goods are being dumped in the domestic market to protect local businesses.

Bangladeshi exporters say that the country's jute mills and jute-spinning mills have been badly affected by the Indian government's action as the neighbouring country is the major export destination of their products.

The situation has not improved over the years despite successive appeals by Bangladeshi exporters to remove the protectionist Indian tariff.

Bangladeshi exporters say that their only hope now is to appeal to the World Trade Organisation to intervene and resolve the crisis.

A jute and textile ministry official said on condition of anonymity, that, "There are two options for the Bangladeshi side right now. First, negotiate with the Indian government through diplomatic channels, and the second, appeal to the WTO seeking legal intervention against Indian anti-dumping duty."

A high official of the ministry of commerce said, "The ministry is processing an appeal and recently they arranged a meeting on the issue."

Md Kamal Hossain, director general of the WTO cell of the Commerce Ministry told The Business Standard, "The appeal is under process. We will formally appeal to the WTO when the process is complete."

Sources at the Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association said the government has to decide whether to appeal to the WTO against the Indian imposition of anti-dumping duty on jute products.

The Tariff Commission of Bangladesh has prepared a draft of the appeal in association with the ministry of jute and textiles, and that is now on the table of the commerce ministry, the spinners association sources added.

The sources said the ministry of commerce can now apply to the legal aid cell of the World Trade Organisation. The trade organisation will examine the validity of the appeal, and then provide legal assistance for processing the formal appeal.

From 2011 to 2015, the office of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties of India asked for information from 158 Bangladeshi exporters to verify if they were dumping jute products in the country. But only 26 companies from Bangladesh provided their information. At the same time, the Indian directorate collected information from 99 Indian companies and user's associations that imported Bangladeshi jute products.

The Bangladeshi companies were asked whether the products being exported to India were also exported to countries, what the local market price for the product was, and cost of production.

"As a new exporter, we submitted a review application to the Indian authorities and provided documents of six export consignments. Of them, five consignments were in 2016 and one was in 2017. Unfortunately, they took the last one only in consideration and refused our appeal," said Mahmudul Huq, deputy managing director of Janata Jute Mills Ltd.

"They didn't do justice to us. We were deprived even before the judgment was started," he added.

"We spent around $25,000 to appoint an Indian lawyer but that didn't change anything," Mahmudul said.

Meanwhile, the companies that won in the appeal are unlikely to get any benefit from the removal of duties. 

Mahmadul added that, "India allowed us to export hessian fabrics at zero duty. But we cannot enjoy this facility because we are using the full capacity of our factory to meet our EU market demand."  

"We have no option but to ask the government to appeal to the WTO," he added. 

"The Indian authorities violated some legislative procedures. If we appeal to the World Trade Organisation, the Indian government may remove the barrier," said Shahidul Karim, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association.

"Jute spinners have lost almost all of their business in the Indian market. They used to export about 1.20 lakh tonnes of yarn annually before the anti-dumping duty was imposed, but now that has dropped to below 65,000 tonnes," said Shahidul Karim.

"We are very confident about getting a judgment from the WTO that will be in favour of Bangladesh," he added.

Ali Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Foreign Trade Institute of Bangladesh, echoed the jute exporters. "Official or bilateral negotiations won't help. Appealing to the WTO is the only option," he told The Business Standard.

Md Rashedul Karim Munna, managing director of Creation Private Limited, said, "We should explore new markets for our jute products."

Around 30 companies export jute yarn, jute sacking bags and jute bag cloth (unstressed) to India.

According to the Export Development Bureau of Bangladesh (EPB), exports of jute goods during the last fiscal year amounted to $816.20 million.

In the first four months of the current fiscal year, the export of jute goods has reached $314.50 million.

Top News

WTO / Jute / India

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Infograph: TBS
    End of a loophole: Defaulters on foreign loans barred from local bank borrowing
  • US President Donald Trump points a finger as he departs for Canada to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, June 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
    Trump demands Iran's 'unconditional surrender' as Israel-Iran air war rages on
  • Infographics: Duniya Jahan/TBS
    How Israel's secret nuclear arsenal comes under spotlight amid attacks on Iran

MOST VIEWED

  • Former Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem. Photo: Collected
    ACC launches inquiry against ex-Bangladesh envoy Saida Muna, husband over laundering Tk2,000cr
  • Infograph: TBS
    Ship congestion at Ctg port lingers as berthing time rises
  • A view of Iranian missiles across the sky as seen by Biman pilot Enam Talukder. Photo: Enam Talukder
    Biman pilot witnessed Iran's missiles flying towards Israel
  • Power Division wants Tk56,000cr PDB loans turned into subsidy
    Power Division wants Tk56,000cr PDB loans turned into subsidy
  • BNP leader Ishraque Hossain held a view-exchange meeting with waste management officials and Dhaka South City Corporation staff inside Nagar Bhaban on 16 June 2025. Photos: Hasan Mehedi
    Ishraque holds Nagar Bhaban meeting as 'Dhaka South mayor', says it’s people’s demand
  • Bangladesh gains bigger share in US apparel market as China loses ground, sees 29% export growth in Jan-Apr
    Bangladesh gains bigger share in US apparel market as China loses ground, sees 29% export growth in Jan-Apr

Related News

  • Snags, bomb threat lead to 3 India-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliners returning to origin in 36 hours
  • Air India flight's 2nd black box recovered; cockpit voice recorder to aid probe
  • 4 killed, 32 injured after bridge collapses in India's Pune
  • Toddler among seven killed in India chopper crash
  • India orders inspection of Boeing 787s after Air India crash

Features

The Kallyanpur Canal is burdened with more than 600,000 kilograms of waste every month. Photo: Courtesy

Kallyanpur canal project shows how to combat plastic pollution in Dhaka

13h | Panorama
The GLS600 overall has a curvaceous nature, with seamless blends across every panel. PHOTO: Arfin Kazi

Mercedes Maybach GLS600: Definitive Luxury

1d | Wheels
Renowned authors Imdadul Haque Milon, Mohit Kamal, and poet–children’s writer Rashed Rouf seen at Current Book Centre, alongside the store's proprietor, Shahin. Photo: Collected

From ‘Screen and Culture’ to ‘Current Book House’: Chattogram’s oldest surviving bookstore

2d | Panorama
Photos: Collected

Kurtis that make a great office wear

4d | Mode

More Videos from TBS

What's behind the animosity between former allies Iran and Israel?

What's behind the animosity between former allies Iran and Israel?

9h | Others
21 Muslim countries condemn Israeli attack on Iran

21 Muslim countries condemn Israeli attack on Iran

9h | TBS World
News of The Day, 17 JUNE 2025

News of The Day, 17 JUNE 2025

12h | TBS News of the day
Rising default loans threaten jobs, growth, trade

Rising default loans threaten jobs, growth, trade

14h | TBS Insight
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net