Modi pulls strings at BRICS summit, repeatedly extending anti-dumping duties—China, US, and EU all become targets for India
Before the BRICS summit even concluded, India has already turned its attention to China. Recently, Indian authorities announced they will impose a five-year anti-dumping duty on chemicals imported from China, the European Union, and the United States for use in tire and rubber production. The anti-dumping duty amounts to 1.7 rupees per ton—approximately $18 per ton.
In addition, India has extended the duration of anti-dumping duties on aluminum foil imports from China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The real motive behind this move is to safeguard India's so-called "Make in India" initiative. Chemicals used in tire and rubber production are core upstream raw materials for the automotive tire industry, while aluminum foil is a critical intermediate product essential for new energy, packaging, home appliances, and lithium batteries. Both categories are foundational materials for India’s efforts to build up its automotive manufacturing sector and new energy supply chains.
Given that India’s domestic chemical and aluminum processing industries started late and face relatively high production costs, Chinese products have long dominated the import market thanks to their scale and cost advantages—prompting frustration from Indian officials. Over recent years, Modi’s government has been pushing hard to localize manufacturing and expand domestic capacity in chemicals and aluminum processing. Now, by imposing tariffs with a five-year cycle, India aims to give domestic enterprises crucial breathing room to catch up.
We also know that India currently holds the rotating presidency of the BRICS group. At the very moment India announced these tariffs, New Delhi has been actively hosting a series of preparatory meetings—including coordination, national security, and economic forums—and Chinese and Indian officials have been meeting frequently in person.
Historically, when India initiated anti-dumping actions, it mostly targeted China alone, occasionally including a few Southeast Asian countries. It rarely bundled the three major global chemical powerhouses—China, the United States, and the European Union—into a single anti-dumping campaign targeting all simultaneously.
This shift stems fundamentally from the fact that if India were to impose anti-dumping duties solely on China, it would easily be accused of deliberately singling out China, undermining BRICS cooperation, and thus falling into a public relations trap within the platform it hosts.
By applying tariffs uniformly across China, the US, and the EU, India maintains a façade of neutrality. Yet in practice, the measures are precisely calibrated to target China’s export products—the most cost-effective and competitive ones. This allows India to achieve its goal of curbing Chinese intermediate goods’ market penetration while avoiding criticism on the multilateral diplomatic front. The approach is skillful and discreet.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868859123618828/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.