US Commerce Department Delivers Decisive Blowto Indian Grinding Media Exports
The U.S. Department of Commerce has concluded itsantidumping investigation into certain high chrome cast iron grinding mediafrom India, determining that these products are being sold in the United Statesat less than fair value. The final determination, published on April 28, 2025,imposes a 9.58% antidumping duty on imports from AIA Engineering Limited andall other Indian producers and exporters of grinding media.
"This determination follows a comprehensiveinvestigation covering the period from April 1, 2023, through March 31,2024," said a Commerce Department official. "After conducting on-siteverifications of sales and cost information submitted by AIA EngineeringLimited and its affiliates, we've concluded that these products are indeedbeing dumped into the U.S. market at unfair prices."
Parallel Countervailing Duty Investigation Compounds TradePressure
In a coordinated trade enforcement action, Commerce alsoissued a final affirmative countervailing duty determination on the same day,finding that Indian grinding media producers received unfair governmentsubsidies. This dual-track approach, addressing both price discrimination andgovernment subsidization, represents a comprehensive effort to level theplaying field for American manufacturers.
The investigations were initiated following petitions filedon April 26, 2024, by domestic producers concerned about unfair competitionfrom Indian imports. The petitions alleged that Indian manufacturers were ableto undercut U.S. prices due to both unfair pricing strategies and governmentsubsidies that artificially lowered their production costs.
Strategic Importance of Grinding Media inIndustrial Applications
High chrome cast iron grinding media are specializedindustrial products primarily used in mining operations, cement production, andpower generation. These steel balls and other shapes are designed to grindmaterials in ball mills and similar grinding equipment, with their high chromecontent providing superior hardness and wear resistance compared to standardgrinding media.
Key Takeaways:
• The U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed a 9.58%antidumping duty on high chrome cast iron grinding media from India afterfinding evidence of less-than-fair-value pricing. [2]
• AIA Engineering Limited, a major Indian manufacturer, wasthe primary respondent in the investigation, which covered April 2023 throughMarch 2024. [2]
• A parallel countervailing duty investigation alsoresulted in affirmative findings, compounding the trade measures against Indiangrinding media imports. [1]
