DTI imposes duties on gypsum from Thailand

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) has imposed preliminary duties of 64.9% on all gypsum board products from Thailand. This follows the successful completion of an anti-dumping investigation. According to the report, suppliers from Thailand started dumping gypsum board in South Africa a little more than 18 months ago. Johannesburg-based BPB Gypsum managing director Stephen du Toit told FTW that gypsum was an abundant, naturally occurring mineral mined in South Africa, and there was therefore no need to import. “Continued dumping would have had disastrous consequences for the industry.”