Union Of India vs. M/S Gujrat State Fertilizers And Chemicals Ltd

$~ 13 to 18, 31, 34 to 37, 39 to 46, 48, 49, 51 to 54 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of Decision: 13 th February, 2025 + W.P.(C) 10641/2022, CM APPL. 8734/2025 & CM APPL. 8814/2025 UNION OF INDIA THROUGH SECRETARY MINISTRY OF FINANCE M/S APCOTEX INDUSTRIES LIMITED .....Respondent 14 WITH + W.P.(C) 10781/2022 UNION OF INDIA ASSOCIATION OF CHLOROMETHANES MANUFACTURERS .....Respondent 15 WITH + W.P.(C) 11394/2022 UNION OF INDIA FORUM FOR ACRYLIC FIBRE MANUFACTURER FORUM (FAFM) .....Respondent 16 WITH + W.P.(C) 11774/2022 UNION OF INDIA FORUM OF ACRYLIC FIBRE MANUFACTURERS FAFM .....Respondent 17 WITH + W.P.(C) 12077/2022 UNION OF INDIA M/S SI GROUP INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED .....Respondent 18 WITH + W.P.(C) 5185/2022 UNION OF INDIA JUBLIANT INGREVIA LIMITED .....Respondent 31 WITH + W.P.(C) 1324/2023 & CM APPL. 4961/2023 UNION OF INDIA THE SECRETARY MINISTRY OF FINANCE APCOTEX INDUSTRIES LIMITED .....Respondent 34 WITH + W.P.(C) 2461/2023 UNION OF INDIA THROUGH SECRETARY M/S. DEEPAK PHENOLICS LIMITED .....Respondent 35 WITH + W.P.(C) 2820/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S GUJRAT STATE FERTILISERS AND CHEMICALS LTD .....Respondent 36 WITH + W.P.(C) 2867/2023 & CM APPL. 11110/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S GUJRAT STATE FERTILIZERS AND CHEMICALS LTD .....Respondent 37 WITH + W.P.(C) 3390/2023 & CM APPL. 13134/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S UI VR PVT LTD .....Respondent 39 WITH + W.P.(C) 3598/2023 & CM APPL. 13949/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S GUJRAT FLUOROCHEMICALS LIMITED .....Respondent 40 WITH + W.P.(C) 3824/2023 & CM APPL. 14884/2023 UNION OF INDIA DEEPAK PHENOLICS LTD .....Respondent 41 WITH + W.P.(C) 3825/2023 & CM APPL. 14887/2023 UNION OF INDIA JINDAL STAINLESS HISAR LIMITED JSHL .....Respondent 42 WITH + W.P.(C) 4039/2023 & CM APPL. 15745/2023 UNION OF INDIA 4 JINDAL STAINLESS LIMITED JSL .....Respondent 43 WITH + W.P.(C) 4401/2023, CM APPL. 16944/2023, CM APPL. 16945/2023 & CM APPL. 16946/2023 UNION OF INDIA JINDAL STAINLESS HISAR LIMITED JSHL .....Respondent 44 WITH + W.P.(C) 4501/2023, CM APPL. 17199/2023, CM APPL. 17200/2023 & CM APPL. 17201/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S JINDAL STAINLESS LIMITED (JSL) .....Respondent 45 WITH + W.P.(C) 4506/2023, CM APPL. 17269/2023, CM APPL. 17270/2023 & CM APPL. 17271/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S IG PETROCHEMICALS LIMITED .....Respondent 46 WITH + W.P.(C) 4676/2023, CM APPL. 18051/2023 & CM APPL. 18053/2023 UNION OF INDIA THROUGH SECRETARY MINISTRY OF FINANCE M/S THIRUMAL CHEMICALS LIMITED .....Respondent 48 WITH + W.P.(C) 5047/2023 & CM APPL. 19720/2023 UNION OF INDIA 5 JINDAL STAINLESS LIMITED JSL .....Respondent 49 WITH + W.P.(C) 5145/2023 & CM APPL. 20093/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S OWENS CORNING INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED .....Respondent 51 WITH + W.P.(C) 5494/2023, CM APPL. 21428/2023, CM APPL. 25428/2023, CM APPL. 25518/2023, CM APPL. 30799/2023, CM APPL. 30800/2023, CM APPL. 30801/2023, CM APPL. 30803/2023 & CM APPL. 30804/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S JINDAL STAINLESS STEEL LIMITED .....Respondent 52 WITH + W.P.(C) 5681/2023, CM APPL. 22227/2023, CM APPL. 25399/2023, CM APPL. 25404/2023, CM APPL. 25520/2023, CM APPL. 30798/2023, CM APPL. 30802/2023 & CM APPL. 30805/2023 UNION OF INDIA M/S JINDAL STAINLESS HISAR LIMITED .....Respondent 53 WITH + W.P.(C) 5924/2023 & CM APPL. 23221/2023 UNION OF INDIA 6 JINDAL STAINLESS HISAR LIMITED .....Respondent 54 WITH + W.P.(C) 6385/2023 SIJ ACRONI D O O JINDAL STAINLESS HISAR LIMITED & ORS. .....Respondents Presence: Counsel for the Petitioner(s): Mr. Anurag Ojha, Sr. SC with Mr. Subham Kumar and Mr. Dipak Raj, Advs. in Items No. 13 to 18 and 31, 34 to 46, 48, 49, 51 to 54. Counsel for the Respondent(s): Mr Abhay Chattopadhyay, Mr. Sarthak Yadav, Mr. Sanjay Notani, Mr. Ambarish Sathianathan and Ms. Harika Bakaraju, Advs. in Items No. 31, 51 and 52. (M: 9654770189) Mr. Rajesh Sharma and Mr. Nikhil Sharma, Advs. in Items No. 13-15, 18, 31, 34, 35, 37-54. Mr. R. Venkat Prabhat, SPC with Mr. Abhinav M. Goel, Ms Kamna Behrani and Mr. Ansh Kalra, Advs. for UOI in Item No. 54. (M: 9109698880) CORAM: JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUSTICE DHARMESH SHARMA Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral) 1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode. 2. The Respondents in these petitions who are stated to be the domestic industry, had filed their respective applications before the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (hereinafter DGTR ) praying for imposition of Anti- Dumping Duty (hereinafter ADD ) in terms of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (hereinafter the Act ) and Customs Tariff (Identification, Assessment and 7 Collection of Anti-Dumping Duty on Dumped Articles and for Determination of Injury) Rules, 1995 in respect of the following products: Sr. No. Writ Petition No. Party Name Product Name Country of Origin 1. W.P(C) 10641/2022 Union of India vs M/s Apcotex Industries Ltd. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber Korea RP 2. W.P(C) 10781/2022 Union of India vs. Association of Chloromethanes Manufacturers Methylene Chloride China PR 3. W.P(C) 11394/2022 Union of India vs. Forum for Acrylic Fibre Manufacturer Forum Acrylic Fibre Belarus, Ukraine, European Union, Peru 4. W.P(C) 11774/2022 Union of India vs Forum for Acrylic Fibre Manufacturer Forum Acrylic Fibre Thailand 5 W.P(C) 12077/2022 Union of India vs M/s Si Group India Private Limited Nonyl Phenol Chinese Taipei 6. W.P(C) 5185/2022 Union of India vs Jubilant Infgrevia Limited Chlorine Chloride in all forms China PR 7. W.P(C) 1324/2023 Union of India vs Apcotex Industries Limited Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber China PR, European Union, Japan, Russia 8. W.P(C) 2461/2023 Union of India vs Deepak Phenolics Limited Phenol Thailand, United States of America 9. W.P(C) 2820/2023 Union of India vs Gujrat State Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd. Melamine China PR 10. W.P(C) 2867/2023 Union of India vs Gujrat State Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd. Caprolactam European Union, Korea RP, Russia, Thailand 11. W.P(C) 3390/2023 Union of India vs M/s UI VR Pvt Ltd Peroxo- sulphates (Perulphates) China PR, United States of America 12. W.P(C) 3598/2023 Union of India vs Gujrat Fluorochemicals Limited Polytetra- fluoroethylene (PTEE) Russia 13. W.P(C) 3824/2023 Union of India vs Deepak Phenolics Ltd Phenol European Union, Singapore 14. W.P(C) 3825/2023 Union of India vs Jindal Stainless Hisar Limited Flat Products of Stainless Steel Indonesia 15. W.P(C) 4039/2023 Union of India vs Jindal Stainless Limited JSL Hot Rolled Flat Products of Stainless Steel - 304 grade China PR, Malaysia and Korea RP 16. W.P(C) 4401/2023 Union of India vs Jindal Stainless Hisar Limited JSHL Hot Rolled Flat Products of Stainless Steel - 304 grade China PR, Malaysia and Korea RP 17. W.P(C) 4501/2023 Union of India vs Jindal Stainless Limited JSL Flat Products of Stainless Steel Indonesia 18. W.P(C) 4506/2023 Union of India vs IG Petrochemicals Limited Phthalic Anhydride Japan, Russia 19. W.P(C) 4676/2023 Union of India vs Thirumal Chemicals Limited Phthalic Anhydride Russia 20. W.P(C) Union of India vs Cold-Rolled China PR, 9 5047/2023 Jindal Stainless Limited JSL Flat Products of Stainless Steel of width 600 nm to 1250 nm and above 1250 mm of non bonafide usage Kora PR, European Union, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and United States of America 21. W.P(C) 5145/2023 Union of India vs Owens Corning India Glass Fibre and articles thereof China PR 22. W.P(C) 5494/2023 Union of India vs M/s Jindal Stainless Steel Limited Flat Rolled Products of Stainless Steel China PR, Kora PR, European Union, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America, Japan, Indonesia, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia 23. W.P(C) 5681/2023 Union of India vs M/s Jindal Stainless Hisar Flat Rolled Products of Stainless Steel China PR, Kora PR, European Union, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America, Japan, 10 Indonesia, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia 24. W.P(C) 5924/2023 Union of India vs M/s Jindal Stainless Hisar ColdRolled Flat Products of Stainless Steel of width 600 nm to 1250 nm and above 1250 mm of non bonafide usage China PR, Korea PR, European Union, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and United States of America 25. W.P(C)6385/ 2023 SIJ Acroni DOO vs Jindal Stainless Hisar Limited & Ors. Flat Rolled Products of Stainless Steel China PR, Kora PR, European Union, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America, Japan, Indonesia, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia 3. Findings were issued in the respective applications by the Designated Authority, DGTR recommending imposition of provisional ADD on the concerned import of goods from certain countries. Thereafter, final findings 11 were also notified recommending imposition of ADD. The definitive ADD was then imposed vide respective Customs notifications issued in various cases. 4. After the imposition of the ADD, a sunset review was undertaken by the Designated Authority, DGTR in order to examine the effect of the imposition of ADD. Final findings were rendered in the sunset review, wherein the Designated Authority, DGTR came to the conclusion that the ADD deserves to be continued. 5. However, the Central Government, on this occasion, did not accept the recommendations of the DGTR and hence the ADD was set aside in the respective cases. The various Office Memorandums issued by the Central Government not to continue the ADD, were challenged before Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (hereinafter CESTAT ) which then set aside the said Office Memorandums. 6. The challenge in these petitions, is to the respective orders of CESTAT, which set aside the respective Office Memorandums, by which the ADD was not accepted by the Central Government. 7. The question of law that has been raised by the Union of India in these cases is whether an Office Memorandum is capable of being assailed before CESTAT. 8. It is submitted by the ld. Counsels for the parties today that similar petitions in respect of certain other products were filed by the Union of India before the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the order passed by CESTAT setting aside the respective Office Memorandums. 9. In that case, being SLP (C) Diary No. 31452/2023 titled as Union of India vs. Plastics Machinery Manufacturers Association of India through 12 its Director and Ors. , the Supreme Court passed the following order on 9 th December, 2024: It is pointed out by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the domestic industries have given up their right in terms of the recommendation made by the designated authority, as well as, their claims on the basis of the order passed by the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi. In view of the statement made, the special leave petition is dismissed as infructuous. 10. In terms of the submissions made before the Supreme Court, ld. Counsel for the domestic industries who are the Respondents in these cases, submit that they have already written to the Government that they do not press their rights in terms of the recommendation given by the Designated Authority, DGTR. 11. In effect thereof, the domestic industry no longer presses for imposition of ADD. The respective Office Memorandums, therefore, are no longer challenged by the domestic industry. 12. The question of law raised by the Union of India i.e., as to whether CESTAT has jurisdiction to set aside an Office Memorandum or not, would therefore become moot in this background. 13. Under these facts and circumstances, the stand of the Respondents, i.e., the domestic industry is accepted. The present writ petitions are disposed of as having been rendered infructuous, in view of the stand of the Respondents- domestic industry. 14. The legal issues raised in these petitions are, however, kept open for adjudication in an appropriate case. 15. The interim orders in all these matters, if any, shall stand vacated. PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUDGE DHARMESH SHARMA JUDGE FEBRUARY 13, 2025/ gunn/ms