The Indian government has set a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of ₹67,220 per tonne on virgin multi-layer paper board. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that this policy will be in place till March 31, 2026. This step, which is based on the product’s cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value, is meant to stop the “dumping” of the goods into the Indian market, especially from nations like Indonesia.
The DGFT notice says that no virgin multi-layer paper board can be imported for less than this minimal price. The Indian Paper Manufacturer Association (IPMA) filed a complaint saying that the indigenous industry was being hurt because of an influx of low-priced imports. This is why the action was made.
In July, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which is part of the commerce ministry, started looking into whether these paperboards were being dumped in the US from Indonesia. The IPMA submitted the application on behalf of the domestic industry, which showed that the product was being sold at prices lower than its usual worth, which hurt local manufacturers.
Virgin multi-layer paper board is an important material for many types of packaging. It is an important part of the packaging for food and drinks, electronics, high-end cosmetics, liquor, and pharmaceuticals. It is also utilized in the publishing sector and for book covers.
The MIP is anticipated to make things fairer for domestic producers, who have been having trouble making money and using their production capacity because of the large number of cheap imports. The goal of this regulatory measure is to protect the Indian paper industry’s interests and encourage production in India.