AIFMP and TechNova ink a five year MOU

The All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) and TechNova Imaging Systems has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on 14 January 2014 in New Delhi. This is related to the anti-dumping duty on pre-sensitised positive plates and digital printing plates (thermal, violet and UV CTP plates).

18 Jan 2014 | By Samir Lukka

AMSG Ashokan, president of All India Federation of Master Printers

The MoU was signed by the president, AMSG Ashokan and hony secretary general, C D Kumaravel of the AIFMP and Pranav Parikh, chairman and managing director, TechNova Imaging Systems, in the presence of Manoj Mehta, past president of AIFMP and C G Ramakrishnan, COO and executive director, TechNova Imaging Systems. Also present were dignitaries and members of the managing committee of the AIFMP.

The MoU indicates that "TechNova has assured the AIFMP that it will continue to implement its self-imposed guidelines for price revisions that have been in practice for the past several years viz. The price revisions of its PS and digital offset plates will be directly linked to the prices of litho-grade aluminum coils, in Indian Rupees on a quarterly basis and increases in other major input costs such as power, other raw material, packaging materials, freight etc. on an annual basis."

It is agreed that TechNova will intimate to the designated committee of the AIFMP, by the 25th day of the last month of each quarter ( i.e., 25 December / March / June / September), any price revision in the price of its offset printing plates (both PS and digital).

In turn, the AIFMP committee, helmed by AMSG Ashokan, the newly appointed president of the AIFMP, will provide its approval of the price revision, after confirming the conformity of the price revision to this agreed formula. The new prices will then become effective from 15th of the following month.

Once a year (in April-May), TechNova will present to the AIFMP committee the relevant data about "the unit cost of other inputs such as power, other raw materials, packaging materials and freight and will fully pass on the increase or reduction, as the case may be, to its customers after such discussions with the AIFMP committee. However, at the request of AIFMP, TechNova may consider passing the increase partially and recover the balance over the next quarter."

The MoU signed by AMSG Ashokan, president of the AIFMP and C D Kumaravel, hony secretary general of AIFMP, stated, "In view of TechNova’s commitments and its co-operative spirit, the AIFMP will ensure that TechNova is able to operate in a free and fair environment without any unfair dumped imports."

As a gesture of goodwill, AIFMP has decided not to pursue legal and administrative measures to counter the anti-dumping duty on digital and PS offset printing plates.

Interestingly enough, a MoU between the All India Federation of Master Printers and TechNova Imaging Systems "pursuant to the imposition of anti-dumping duty on pre-sensitised positive plates, was signed on 17 December 2007, for a period of five years.

The background to this is, in September 2012, the Government authorities notified initiation of Sunset Review investigations on pre-sensitised PS offset printing plates from China, upon request of TechNova Imaging Systems. The anti-dumping duties on import of PS plates from China were imposed in 2007 for a five-year period, which ended in September, 2012. The investigation is under progress.

The commission held an oral hearing in 2013 as part of the sunset review, which may result in maintenance of the duty, with elevation or reduction of the applied duty rates, or may result in the suspension of the anti-dumping duty.

The oral hearing was attended by both the parties, TechNova Imaging Systems representing the domestic plate industry on one side, while the other side was formed by Creed Engineers, Andhra Pradesh Printers Association (APPA), All India Federation of Master Printers, Indian Languages Newspapers' Association (ILNA) and Noida Offset Printers Association (NOPA) among others.

The anti-dumping investigations are carried out by the Directorate of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties under the Department of Commerce, Government of India.