The anti-dumping duty of $32 per tonne on white cement imports from the UAE imposed by India in June, and to have been in place until December 13, has been lifted effective September 1.

Direct exports from Ras Al Khaimah Co for White Cement and Construction Materials, the sole UAE manufacturer of the product, are scheduled to resume from end-month, according to Saif Abdulrahman Al Serkal, deputy general manager.

The development follows a series of talks held by the RAK-based company with various Indian ministry officials, the New Delhi-based Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties, injury complainants Grasim and JK Synthetics, the chambers of commerce and the Bureau of Indian Standards, among others.

Interestingly, the period under scrutiny was from late 1999 to early 2000, when the volume of India's imports from the UAE constituted just 2 per cent of domestic market demand, Al Serkal noted.

Further, both Grasim and JK Synthetics recorded higher sales and profits during the period of scrutiny. "So where's the injury?"

"We are not guilty of dumping, and have always complied with all the requisite rules and regulations," he said.

"We had no intention of dumping, nor of causing injury to local producers, and are keen on maintaining good relations with both India and the manufacturers there, whose products are, in turn, exported to the UAE."

Under the new compromise, the two primary conditions are that exports henceforth will be directly from the UAE company, and the amount of the proposed anti-dumping duty should be added to the export price.

Al Serkal expected all formalities to be completed shortly, and allow the resumption of UAE white cement exports to India by month-end.