India has brought back anti-dumping duties on some Chinese titanium dioxide, setting them at $460 to $681 per tonne for five years1. The Finance Ministry notified the levy on Saturday, 24 October. It accepted the final findings of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies, dated 3 August 20261.
Titanium dioxide, or TiO2, is the white pigment that gives paints, plastics, paper and inks their whiteness and covering power. It is also used in food colouring, medicines and toothpaste3.
Rates by producer
| Producer group | Duty per tonne |
|---|---|
| Specified producers, including LB Group companies and other listed manufacturers | $460 |
| Listed non-sampled cooperative producers | $510 |
| Shandong Jinhai Titanium Resources Technology and Shandong Xianghai Titanium | $563 |
| Anhui Gold Star Titanium Dioxide (Group) | $609 |
| Other producers, including cases where the invoice conditions are not met | $681 |
The lower rates apply only if the importer presents a valid commercial invoice. The invoice must carry a declaration naming the manufacturer and confirming that the information is accurate1. Without that invoice, the $681 rate for other producers applies1.
The duty is payable in Indian currency and runs for five years from publication, unless the government changes it earlier1. The rupee traded at 94.94 to the dollar on 23 October, so the rupee amount moves with the exchange rate4.
Such duties target imports priced unfairly low that hurt local producers. They are relief for domestic industry, not a broad import tax1.
Exclusions and the case behind the duty
The notification covers goods under tariff items 2823 00 10, 3206 11 10 and 3206 11 90. It says customs classification is only indicative, and the duty follows the product description in the order1.
Specified grades for food additives, tablet coatings in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and sunscreen, textile and fibre production, and nano or ultrafine TiO2 below 100 nanometres for specified uses are excluded. The exclusions apply subject to the descriptions and conditions in the notification1.
This is the second attempt at the duty. India imposed one in May 2025, the Indian Paint Association challenged it, and the Calcutta High Court ordered the authorities to reconsider1. In the fresh investigation, the DGTR found the imports were being sold in India at dumped prices. It also found material injury to domestic producers and a threat of further injury1.
What it means for buyers
Paints and coatings are a major use of the pigment. Crude oil derivatives make up at least a third of paint makers' raw material costs. Listed paint companies have raised prices 10 to 15% since April, with about 3% more from November2. Analysts expect their EBITDA margins to fall 70 to 120 basis points from a year earlier2.
According to the report on the duty, a rise in input costs does not automatically become a retail price rise. The outcome depends on inventories, alternative sources of supply, domestic availability, procurement costs and the ability to absorb the extra expense1.
Domestic supply is small in scale. Travancore Titanium Products, the leading Indian maker of the anatase grade, can produce about 20,000 tonnes a year5. World pigment capacity was estimated at 9.9 million tonnes a year in 2025, with China holding 6.0 million tonnes of that3.
What to watch
Importers should check the notification text for the effective date. They should also check how it treats bills of entry already filed and cargo already in transit1. Buyers should confirm whether their grade falls inside an exclusion and whether each supplier invoice carries the required declaration. The top rate applies when it does not1.
Buyers looking at other origins should ask whether those suppliers already face their own anti-dumping action. They should also compare the landed cost with domestic pigment once the duty is added1.