In July 2025, RIAA Barker Gillette filed an application on behalf of Lotte Chemical Pakistan Limited (LCPL) before the National Tariff Commission (the Commission), seeking anti-dumping duties on imports of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) from China. The Commission subsequently initiated a formal investigation on 16 August 2025 under the Anti-Dumping Duties Act, 2015.
Strategic Significance of PTA
PTA is a critical industrial input across Pakistan’s textile and packaging value chains. Manufacturers use it to produce polyester staple fibre, polyester filament yarn, and PET resin for bottles and food packaging. These downstream industries supply everyday consumer goods, including garments, beverage containers, and household plastics. LCPL operates Pakistan’s sole PTA production facility at Port Qasim, Karachi, with an annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes. As a result, the investigation carries significant implications for domestic manufacturing capacity and supply-chain resilience.
The Investigation and Preliminary Determination
A central challenge in the case involved distinguishing between legitimate imports needed to meet residual demand and dumped imports entering at unfairly low prices. PTA pricing practices added further complexity, as prices are often benchmark-linked and adjusted retrospectively rather than fixed at shipment.
The firm assembled detailed pricing and cost evidence from recognised international market intelligence sources. This approach ensured the Commission had a reliable basis for assessing dumping margins and price effects. Throughout the investigation, the firm has advised LCPL during the Commission’s on-site verification, responded to submissions by exporters, importers, and downstream users, and addressed issues of price undercutting and sales displacement.
In its Preliminary Determination dated 4 January 2026, the Commission imposed provisional anti-dumping duties ranging from 2.63% to 9.50% on the subject imports. This marks an important step toward addressing unfairly priced PTA entering the Pakistani market, while the investigation continues toward a final determination.
“This preliminary determination is an important measure to counter unfair trade practices affecting Pakistan’s sole PTA producer and a critical industrial input,” said Mazhar Bangash, Partner at RIAA Barker Gillette.
The team on this matter was led by Mazhar Bangash (Partner – Pakistan) and supported by Senior Associate Momin Taufiq, Associate Saman Shahrukh, Junior Associate Ayesha Bashir, and Trainee Associate Fuzail Hassan.
For advice on trade remedies matters in Pakistan, contact Mazhar Bangash today.
This article is not legal advice; it provides information of general interest about current legal issues.
…
RIAA Barker Gillette is Pakistan’s premier law firm, with an on-the-ground presence in three major cities in Pakistan: Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore, and affiliated offices in Dubai (DIFC) and London.
The firm practices in all areas of corporate, commercial and dispute resolution law. Leading international legal directories consistently recognise the firm as a top-tier law firm in Pakistan.
RIAA Barker Gillette is the exclusive member firm in Pakistan for Lex Mundi, the world’s leading network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in over 125 countries worldwide.
