DGTR Recommends Five More Years of Anti-Dumping Duty on Aluminium Foil from China and Three Asian Neighbours

India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended keeping anti-dumping duty on imported aluminium foil in place for another five years. In a sunset-review final finding dated 23 September 2026, the DGTR concluded that dumped foil from China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia continues to injure domestic producers, and proposed continuing the duty on aluminium foil up to 80 microns thick at rates ranging from USD 93.53 to USD 976.99 per tonne. The recommendation now goes to the Ministry of Finance, which decides whether to notify the duty. In the meantime, the existing duty has been extended to 15 December 2026, so protection does not lapse while the decision is pending.

For importers of foil and the large base of Indian packaging converters who use it, this signals continuity of a cost that was due to expire — and a planning point for Q4 sourcing.

What Happened

The DGTR's finding is the outcome of a sunset review — the examination carried out before an existing anti-dumping duty is due to end, to decide whether dumping and injury would likely continue or recur if the duty were removed. The authority found that they would, and recommended:

• Product scope: aluminium foil of thickness up to 80 microns.
• Source countries: China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Duty level: a range of USD 93.53 to USD 976.99 per tonne, varying by producer/exporter.
• Duration: five years from the date of the eventual notification.

Because a DGTR recommendation is not itself the operative levy, the duty becomes legally enforceable only when the Department of Revenue issues a customs notification. To bridge the gap, the earlier duty has been extended until 15 December 2026.

Why / Background

Aluminium foil up to 80 microns is a staple input for flexible packaging used across food, FMCG, pharmaceuticals and foodservice. India has maintained anti-dumping duties on this foil for years on the view that below-cost imports, particularly from China, undercut domestic rollers and distort the market. A sunset review tests whether that rationale still holds; the DGTR's conclusion is that removing the duty would likely let dumping and injury resume, hence the recommendation to continue.

Who's Affected

The finding cuts two ways. Domestic aluminium-foil producers gain continued protection and pricing stability. Importers of foil from the four named countries, and the downstream packaging converters (flexible packaging, pharma blister and food-grade laminate makers) who buy it, face continued duty-inflated input costs and should assume the protection persists rather than lapses. Customs house agents handling these consignments should watch for the confirming notification and the correct duty rate by exporter. Buyers who had been counting on the duty expiring should revisit their cost assumptions.

What Importers and Buyers Should Do Now

• Check whether your foil falls within the up-to-80-micron scope and originates in China, Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia — the four countries named in the review.
• Identify your specific supplier's duty rate within the USD 93.53–976.99 per tonne band, as the amount is producer-specific and materially changes landed cost.
• Plan sourcing on the basis that the duty continues beyond 15 December 2026 once notified, rather than betting on expiry.
• Evaluate alternative origins outside the four named countries, or domestic supply, if the duty makes current sourcing uneconomic — while confirming any alternative is not itself under trade-remedy measures.
• Track the Ministry of Finance notification for the exact effective date, rates and any product exclusions before finalising contracts.

The Bigger Picture

This finding fits a broader pattern of India tightening trade-remedy measures on Chinese and Asian imports across chemicals, metals and intermediates — the same stance visible in the recent clutch of anti-dumping investigations into Chinese goods. For buyers, the practical message is that anti-dumping protection on aluminium foil is becoming a structural feature of the cost base rather than a temporary measure. Sourcing strategies built around an assumption that these duties will eventually disappear look increasingly fragile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the new five-year duty in force now? Not yet. The DGTR has recommended it; it becomes enforceable only when the Ministry of Finance issues a customs notification. The existing duty has been extended to 15 December 2026 in the interim.

Which products and countries are covered? Aluminium foil up to 80 microns thick from China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

How much is the duty? The recommended range is USD 93.53 to USD 976.99 per tonne, with the exact figure depending on the producer/exporter.

What is a sunset review? It is the review conducted before an existing anti-dumping duty expires, to determine whether dumping and injury to domestic industry would likely continue or recur if the duty were withdrawn.

Conclusion

The DGTR's recommendation points to another five years of anti-dumping duty on aluminium foil up to 80 microns from four Asian sources, with the existing duty extended to 15 December 2026 while the Finance Ministry decides. Importers and packaging buyers should treat the protection as continuing, confirm their supplier-specific rate, and build sourcing plans accordingly rather than around an expiry that is not coming.

This summary is for general guidance only. The duty takes legal effect only on notification by the Ministry of Finance — verify the final rates, scope and effective date against the official DGTR finding and the customs notification before acting.