Chemical and petrochemical manufacturers have urged the central government to specifically continue with the anti-dumping duty (ADD) on purified terephthalic acid (PTA), as per Business Standard to protect the home synthetic textile industry from foreign competition.

PTA, a raw material for polyester production, currently attracts ADD of US$23.75-117/ton on its import from China, Korea, Thailand and the European Union.

The duty protection was needed from cheap dumping from China, South Korea, Thailand and the EU. The domestic industry has in the past two years suffered material injury, resulting in losses to the extent of Rs 5 crore a day.

The injury has threatened the very existence of some units, said Mahinder Singh, secretary-general of the Chemical & Petrochemicals Manufacturers' Association (CPMA).

Before the levy, PTA was exported to India at allegedly "below normal value" and the domestic industry had "suffered material injury due to dumping". However, PTA users contested the findings, saying Reliance had been operating at over 100 percent capacity.

PTA, a petrochemical product used for making polyesters, is produced in India by Mitsubishi and Reliance in the private sector and Indian Oil Corporation in the state sector.