The maker of China’s White Rabbit milk candy today said it has re-entered the export markets after six months of suspension of sales, but India insisted the ban on Chinese dairy products, including its iconic confectionery sweet, has still not been lifted.
During the widespread tainted-milk scandal, candy-maker Guanshengyuan in September had recalled exports of the candy after several countries, including India, had found that milk products from China had tested positive for melamine, a toxic substance.
“The first batch of 6,000 trunks of White Rabbit milk candies were exported early April to Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, India and Canada,” Xinhua News Agency quoting Guanshengyuan said.
“The import of chocolates and chocolate products and candies/confectionery/food preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient shall be prohibited from China for six months with immediate effect and until further orders,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade had said in its December 1, 2008, order.
China has conveyed its displeasure over the import ban on its different products by India. New Delhi recently lifted ban on import of Chinese toys but with restrictions.
Meanwhile, the government has imposed anti-dumping duties on the imports of sodium hydrosulphite, a chemical used to make dyes, from Germany and Korea to guard the domestic players.
The Central Board Of Excise and Customs (CBEC) imposed a duty of $1,034.76 per tonne on the chemical, the CBEC said in a notification today.
The decision to impose duty follows recommendations to this effect by the Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties.
The anti-dumping duty would be effective for a period of five years.
The Directorate General had earlier found that sodium hydrosulphite were being imported from Germany and Korea respectively, at below its normal value, which was causing material injury to the domestic industry.
Earlier, the government had imposed duty on several other products including yarns, fabrics, colour picture tubes, some aluminum products and chemicals.
Source : Business Standard