ISLAMABAD: Government is preparing amendments to its Anti-Dumping Duty law to strengthen protection for local industries against cheap foreign imports and improve the efficiency of trade investigations.
According to official documents, the proposed amendments would allow provisional anti-dumping duties to be imposed for up to four months, with a possible two-month extension if required.
The proposals also seek to introduce stricter mechanisms for collecting duties, including bank guarantees or cash deposits to secure the amount payable.
Stricter rules proposed for duty refunds
The proposed changes aim to tighten conditions for refunding anti-dumping duties to prevent unnecessary payouts.
Under the proposed framework, refunds would only be issued if the National Tariff Commission (NTC) is satisfied that the duty burden was not passed on to the buyer.
The amendments also seek to strengthen the collection process and ensure that applicable duties are recovered.
Faster appeals and investigations
The proposal includes measures to accelerate appeals in anti-dumping cases and grant additional powers to the relevant tribunal to ensure disputes are resolved more quickly.
The investigation process would also be streamlined to reduce delays in proceedings.
According to the documents, the proposed amendments aim to bring Pakistan’s anti-dumping framework in line with international standards while improving the operational efficiency of the National Tariff Commission.
The overall objective is to protect domestic manufacturers from unfair competition and strengthen the country’s trade-remedy framework.
