As you may know, India have public a new Act of anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of “nature mica based pearl pigment excluding cosmetic grade”. Here is some background of this act:

A. BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

No. 6/8/2020-DGTR: Having regard to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Act’) and the Customs Tariff (Identification, Assessment and Collection of Anti-Dumping Duty on Dumped Articles and for Determination of Injury) Rules thereof, as amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Rules’), thereof.

1. The Designated Authority (hereinafter referred to as “Authority”) received an application from M/s. Sudarshan Chemical Industries Limited (hereinafter also referred to as “Applicant”) requesting initiation of anti-dumping investigation under the Act and the Rules on imports of “Natural Mica based Pearl Industrial Pigments excluding cosmetic grade”, (hereinafter also referred to as “subject goods” or “product under consideration” or “PUC”) originating in or exported from China PR and United States of America The Applicant namely, M/s. Sudarshan Chemical Industries Limited, has provided the prescribed information in the Application.

2. The Authority, on the basis of sufficient prima facie evidence submitted by the Applicant, issued a public notice vide notification No. 6/8/2020-DGTR dated 9^th May, 2020, published in the Gazette of India, initiating the investigation in accordance with Section 9A of the Act read with Rule 5 of the Rules to determine the existence, degree and effect of the alleged dumping of the subject goods originating in or exported from the China PR(hereinafter referred to as “Subject Country”) and to recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty, which if levied, would be adequate to remove the alleged injury to the Domestic Industry. The imports from USA were noted to be non-injurious.

The landed value of imports for this purpose shall be assessable value as determined by the Customs under Customs Act, 1962 and applicable level of custom duties except duties levied under Section 3, 8B, 9, 9A of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.

DUTY TABLE

As we can read from this Act, India will collect extra Customs Tariff on Nature mica base pearl pigment. That will cause the landed price of nature mica based pearl pigment higher. And recent years, the price of synthetic mica based pearl pigment keep dropping. So finally the price of synthetic mica based pearl pigment will near the nature mica based pearl pigment.

However how to distinguish nature mica based pearl pigment and synthetic mica based pearl pigment?

Here is some possible ways to check out it:

1. To judge from color and brightness

Nature mica comes from minerals, the color is not as purity as synthetic mica.

Here is photos for reference:

Nature mcia:

      Synthetic mica:

So synthetic mica pearl pigment have better whiteness and brightness.

This way need experience people to judge it.

1. COA, TDS, MSDS

As far as we know, India customs will reply on the material which importer offered docs to judge it synthetic mica base or nature mica base.

Of course someone may make fake docs to customs. But if India customs found someone cheat them they might punish it.

2. From content of “Fluorine”

Here is ingredients to make synthetic mica:

So when we use XRF or XFD to test synthetic mica based pearl pigment, we can get following result:

The content of “Fluorine” from 8-11%.

While nature mica based pearl pigment usually have <1% content of “Fluorine”

So this is a more reliable way to judge synthetic mica and nature mica

Conclusion: There is some other ways like to test heat resistant (900degree), to check by microscope but it is not very effective way to judge it. And as far as we know, someone mix some nature mica pearl pigment into synthetic mica pearl pigment to lower the cost. So it will make the the real situation more complicated.