India Imposes Anti-Dumping Duty of USD 460–681/MT on Chinese Titanium Dioxide for Five Years

India has imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty on titanium dioxide (TiO2) from China. Notification No. 26/2026-Customs (ADD), G.S.R. 916(E), dated 24 October 2026, issued by the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) on the recommendation of the DGTR, sets duties ranging from USD 460 to USD 681 per metric tonne for five years. Titanium dioxide is the white pigment used across paints, coatings, plastics, inks and paper — so the duty touches a wide band of Indian importers and the manufacturers who depend on it.

For importers of Chinese TiO2, this is a direct landed-cost increase; for domestic producers, it is protection against under-priced imports. The exact rate depends on the producer, and several specialised end uses are carved out.

What Happened

The notification imposes anti-dumping duty on titanium dioxide originating in or exported from China PR, indicatively classified under HS 2823 00 10, 3206 11 10 and 3206 11 90 (the notification states that classification is only indicative and the product description governs).

Producer-specific duty rates (USD per MT):

The duty is payable in Indian rupees and runs for five years from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier.

Producer-specific rates are conditional. They apply only where the import is accompanied by a valid commercial invoice carrying a dated, signed declaration naming the manufacturer and country of manufacture. Without that declaration, the residual USD 681/MT rate for "any other producer" applies.

Key exclusions. Several end uses are excluded from the duty, including food additives, pharmaceutical tablet coatings, skincare/cosmetics, certain textile and fibre uses, décor paper, and nano/ultrafine titanium dioxide below 100 nm. Note that TiO2 used as a textile printing pigment is not excluded.

Why / Background

Anti-dumping duty is a trade-remedy measure, not a tariff: it counters imports sold below "normal value" (dumping) that cause or threaten injury to a domestic industry. The DGTR investigates, determines the dumping margin and injury, and recommends a duty; the Department of Revenue imposes it. This measure continues India's active trade-remedy stance on Chinese chemical and industrial inputs, where the DGTR has recommended or imposed duties on a string of products. For TiO2, the duty aims to restore a level field for Indian pigment producers while leaving specialised, non-competing grades (nano, pharma, food) outside the net.

Who's Affected

• Importers of Chinese TiO2 for paints, coatings, plastics, printing inks and paper — higher landed cost.
• Paint, plastics and ink manufacturers reliant on imported pigment — input-cost pressure or a shift to domestic/third-country sourcing.
• Domestic TiO2 producers — the intended beneficiaries.
• CHAs filing bills of entry for these consignments — new declaration and classification diligence.

What Importers and CHAs Should Do Now

• Identify your supplier's exact producer entity and obtain the signed manufacturer declaration on the commercial invoice to qualify for the lower producer-specific rate; without it you pay USD 681/MT.
• Re-price landed costs and existing contracts to include the duty, and check whether any price-variation clause passes it through.
• Verify end use against the exclusions. If your grade is genuinely food, pharma-coating, cosmetic, décor-paper or sub-100 nm nano TiO2, document it — but remember textile printing-pigment use is covered.
• Confirm HS classification carefully; the duty follows the product description, not merely the stated heading.
• Consider alternative sourcing (domestic producers or non-China origins) where the duty erodes margin, and re-check rules of origin to avoid transhipment risk (TiO2 merely exported from China is still hit at USD 681/MT).

The Bigger Picture

This duty is one more data point in a sustained wave of Indian trade-remedy action against Chinese industrial inputs through 2026. For import-dependent downstream manufacturers, anti-dumping duties are a recurring cost risk that rewards supplier diversification and tight documentation. For CHAs, producer declarations and precise classification are now routine make-or-break details on these consignments.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much duty will I pay? Between USD 460 and USD 681 per MT, depending on the producer. You get the lower producer-specific rate only if the invoice carries a dated, signed manufacturer declaration; otherwise the USD 681/MT residual rate applies.

My TiO2 is pharma/food grade — am I exempt? Several end uses are excluded, including pharmaceutical tablet coatings, food additives, cosmetics, décor paper and sub-100 nm nano TiO2. You must be able to document the grade and use. Textile printing-pigment use is not excluded.

How long does the duty last? Five years from Official Gazette publication, unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier.

Can I avoid it by importing via another country? No. Titanium dioxide exported from China PR, even if made elsewhere, attracts the USD 681/MT rate. Genuine third-country origin must satisfy rules of origin.

Conclusion

India's five-year anti-dumping duty on Chinese titanium dioxide raises landed costs for pigment importers but can be minimised with the right producer declaration and correct grade classification. Importers who verify their supplier entity, documentation and end use will pay the least; those who don't default to the top rate.

This is a plain-English summary for importers, manufacturers and CHAs. Verify the exact rates, producers and exclusions against CBIC Notification No. 26/2026-Customs (ADD) on the official CBIC portal (cbic.gov.in) and the DGTR final findings before clearing cargo.