The Ministry of Finance has imposed a countervailing duty (CVD) on imports of digital offset printing plates originating from China and Taiwan.
The duty, effective for five years, follows the final findings of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which concluded that subsidized imports from these countries posed a threat of material injury to Indian manufacturers.
The notification states that digital offset printing plates were being imported at subsidized rates, resulting in unfair market advantages for foreign producers. The government, exercising powers under Sections 9(1) and 9(6) of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, has imposed the CVD based on the injury margins and subsidy levels determined during the investigation.
Key Producers and Duty Rates:
The CVD varies by producer and country of origin. Key findings include:
Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co. Ltd. (China) – USD 0.74 per square meter
Fujifilm Printing Plate (China) Co. Ltd. – USD 0.38 per square meter
Anhui Strong State New Materials Co. Ltd. – USD 0.58 per square meter
Huangshan Jinruitai Technology (China) – USD 0.43 per square meter
Chongqing Huafeng Di Jet Printing Material Co. Ltd. – USD 0.63 per square meter
Other Chinese producers – USD 1.16 per square meter
Producers from Taiwan – USD 0.21 per square meter
Kodak China Graphic Communications Co. Ltd. was exempted, with no CVD imposed against it.
Notably, waterless CtP plates used for printing on specialized materials such as credit cards and security cards are excluded from the scope of this duty.
Basis and Duration:
The duties are designed to counteract the unfair advantage gained from foreign subsidies, in accordance with the Customs Tariff (Identification, Assessment and Collection of Countervailing Duty on Subsidized Articles and for Determination of Injury) Rules, 1995. They will be in effect for five years unless revoked, amended, or superseded earlier.
This move follows a parallel anti-dumping investigation and complements Notification No. 28/2024-Customs (ADD) issued in December 2024.
Notification Details
Notification No. 05/2025-Customs (CVD)
Date: 27/06/2025
