AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Thursday extended its stay for six more weeks on the Centre’s decision to revoke anti-dumping duty on import of PVC flex films from China, and directed the Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) to decide on the appeals filed by local manufacturers.
The court asked the central government to make its stand clear on the issue. The Centre told the HC that if the notification of revocation, which was issued on January 24, is stayed and the arrangement of levying of anti-dumping duty extended, it would lead to irreparable injury to the downstream industry and consumers. The expiry of anti-dumping duty would also otherwise not preclude local industry from seeing re-levying on the goods.
The petitioner in this case, Qrex Flex Pvt Ltd, submitted that if the tribunal is not going to hear the appeals, and if the local manufacturers are not in a position of obtaining interim relief, they may also cause irreparable loss to them.
As the special bench is not available, leading the local manufacturers to approach the high court, the bench said that a litigant should not suffer because the tribunal is not available. The tribunal has to make necessary arrangements for urgent hearing of these appeals.
The court was informed that special sittings of the tribunal are likely to take place between February 14 and 18.
“If that be so, take these appeals and decide them,” the high court said.
