Government of India has re-imposed anti-dumping duty on silk yarn imports from China for another one year.
The duty levied for five years expired on January 2008. However, experts believe that the imposition is likely to get extended for another five years starting from 2009.
Massive imports of cheap (both in terms of price and quality) raw silk from China has adversely affected domestic producers bringing down the demand for local bivoltine (temperate silk) cocoons.
Presently, Chinese raw silk values at around US $27.97 per kilogram which is lower than the domestic prices of the raw material, thus explaining the imposition of anti-dumping duty.
India is recognized for being the second largest producer of silk in the world. In spite of which, imports have been a regular phenomenon because of the demand-supply gap of nearly 10,000 tons.
Chinese raw silk imports are posing a danger to the Indian industry since an excessive amount of inferior variety yarn below 2A grade, is flowing into the country.
The Central Silk Board (CSB) is projecting bivoltine silk production to touch 5,000 tons by the end of the XI Plan period, while total silk production is projected to reach 26,000 tons.
India is the only country which is producing five different types of silk. While mulberry silk forms nearly 90 percent of the output, vanya silks (wild silks) accounts for the remaining.
Popular among the vanya silks are eri, muga and tassar. Oak tassar which is another variety of silk is grown extensively in Uttarkhand.