India has officially extended countervailing duty on imports of textured tempered glass from Malaysia, as confirmed in an official gazette issued through the Ministry of Finance. According to the government notification, this decision comes after a thorough review that found that withdrawal of the duty would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of subsidisation and hamper the domestic industry. The Ministry of Finance has imposed the duty for a fresh five-year period, superseding the earlier 2021 notification.
The duty applies to textured toughened (tempered) coated and uncoated glass with a minimum light transmission of 90.5%, thickness not exceeding 4.2 mm, and at least one dimension exceeding 1,500 mm. As reported by the Ministry of Finance, the product is also commercially known as solar glass, solar PV glass, high transmission photovoltaic glass, and heat strengthened glass. This specific product classification ensures the duty targets the relevant import category while protecting domestic manufacturers from unfair competition.
The notification specifies differentiated duty rates based on producer, with Xinyi Solar (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and SBH Kibing Solar New Materials (M) Sdn. Bhd. assigned an individual countervailing duty rate of 9.71% of the CIF value. According to the gazette, all other producers from Malaysia, or from any other country exporting through Malaysia, will attract a higher duty of 10.14%. To avail the lower individual rates, importers must present a valid commercial invoice carrying a signed declaration from the exporting entity certifying that the goods were manufactured at the specified facility in Malaysia.
