On December 5, 2025, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) of India issued Customs Directive No. 33/2025, instructing all local authorities to immediately cease the imposition of anti-dumping duties on titanium dioxide (titanium dioxide) originating from or exported from China.
This decision stems from the ruling of the Kolkata High Court on September 22, 2025, which found significant flaws in the Indian government's previous anti-dumping investigation procedures and therefore revoked the tax notice issued on May 10, 2025.
This means that with a directive from the Indian customs department, the heavy anti-dumping duty of $460-681 per ton on Chinese titanium dioxide companies in the Indian market has been lifted, and this market, which accounts for 10% of China's total titanium dioxide exports, has reopened its doors to Chinese companies.
This trade dispute began on March 28, 2024, when the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry officially launched an anti-dumping investigation into titanium dioxide from China.
After nearly a year of investigation, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry made a positive final ruling on February 12, 2025, recommending the imposition of anti-dumping duties on Chinese Titanium Dioxide Pigment.
On May 10, 2025, the Revenue Department of the Indian Ministry of Finance issued a notice accepting the final ruling recommendation of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, deciding to impose anti-dumping duties of $460-681 per ton on titanium dioxide originating from or imported from China, with a validity period of 5 years.
However, this decision was opposed by the Indian Coatings Association, which filed a lawsuit with the Kolkata High Court. On September 22, 2025, the court made a ruling to cancel the government's decision to impose anti-dumping duties on imported titanium dioxide from China and sent the case back to the General Administration of Trade Remedies for re examination.
The Indian market is crucial for the Chinese titanium dioxide industry. As one of the top ten importers of titanium dioxide in China, India holds an important position in the export market of titanium dioxide from China. The core of India's demand for titanium dioxide comes from the urgent needs in the fields of coatings, plastics, and other industries driven by industrial and infrastructure development. Its local production capacity is far from matching market demand, and high-performance products such as high-end rutile are difficult to produce independently. Therefore, it is highly dependent on imports, with more than 60% relying on imports to fill the gap. Chinese sources have become the main supply choice due to their cost-effectiveness.
In 2024, the total import value of the top ten countries of origin for Indian titanium dioxide reached 1.135 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 22.62%, with China leading with 666 million US dollars (a year-on-year increase of 25.2%); However, from January to November 2025, the total import value of the top ten countries decreased to 837 million US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 20.47%. China's import value also fell back to 507 million US dollars (a year-on-year decrease of 17.53%), while Canada and Singapore's import value increased by 80.16% and 1103.16% respectively, reflecting the contraction of India's titanium dioxide import scale and the diversification of supply sources.
Affected by anti-dumping policies in major markets such as India and Brazil, China's titanium dioxide exports in the first half of 2025 will face the "three lows" dilemma - a comprehensive decline in export volume, export average price, and year-on-year growth rate. In October 2025, China's titanium dioxide exports were 146400 tons, a decrease of 6.33% month on month and 5.12% year-on-year. The cumulative export volume from January to October decreased by 101400 tons compared to the same period last year. The main reason for the decline in export volume is that multiple major export markets have imposed high anti-dumping duties on Chinese titanium dioxide, which has become the biggest obstacle to titanium dioxide exports in recent times, and export orders continue to shrink. With India lifting its anti-dumping duties on titanium dioxide from China, Chinese titanium dioxide companies will regain multiple competitive advantages in this market.
The elimination of tariff barriers has restored the price competitiveness of Chinese titanium dioxide in the Indian market. According to industry analysis, stopping the imposition of anti-dumping duties will significantly reduce the import cost of Chinese made White Powder Titanium Dioxide.
For Indian paint companies, this means obtaining short-term cost relief. In the case of relatively stable demand, an increase in supply may exert downward pressure on the spot price of titanium dioxide.
Chinese titanium dioxide companies are expected to regain lost market share. During the implementation of anti-dumping duties in India, the import sources of Titanium Dioxide White in India showed a diversified adjustment, and the import volume of countries such as Canada and Singapore increased significantly. With the elimination of tariff barriers, China's position as a traditional major supplier is expected to be restored.
The complete supply chain and stable production capacity of China's titanium dioxide industry are also important advantages. Compared to other supply countries that require long-distance transportation, China has a closer geographical location, lower logistics costs, and shorter delivery cycles.