Anti-Dumping Probe into Ethyl Chloroformate:
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched an anti-dumping investigation into the alleged dumping of ethyl chloroformate from China to protect the domestic chemical industry.
- The DGTR has also opened a separate anti-dumping investigation into imports of hexamine, another chemical intermediate, from China, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Ethyl chloroformate is a highly reactive organic compound. It is the ethyl ester of chloroformic acid and is primarily used as a versatile reagent in organic synthesis, particularly in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.
- When it reacts with water (hydrolysis), it decomposes into ethanol, carbon dioxide, and hydrochloric acid.
- It is a critical intermediate in the production of various drugs, including modified penicillins and ore flotation agents.
- It serves as a stabilizer for PVC and is used in the synthesis of agricultural chemicals like herbicides and insecticides.
- It reacts with carboxylic acids to form mixed anhydrides, which are highly reactive intermediates used to create esters or amides.
- It is highly toxic by inhalation and harmful if swallowed. Short-term exposure can cause pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs).
- It is a strong lachrymator (causes severe eye watering) and causes acid-type burns to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
- It is a highly flammable liquid and can form explosive mixtures with air.
Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD)
- It is a protectionist tariff imposed by a government on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value (a practice known as “dumping”).
- There are also countervailing duties, which are imposed to neutralize the impact of subsidies provided by exporting countries, together ensuring a level playing field in international trade.
