CMDA-Delhi hails anti dumping duty on printer toner cartridges as a boost to manufacturing

In a move that could redefine the future of India’s imaging and printing supplies industry, the Computer Media Dealers Association (CMDA-Delhi Regd.) has welcomed the imposition of anti-dumping duty on complete and semi-complete printer toner cartridges, as notified under DGTR’s Final Finding No. 6/41/2024-DGTR dated 26 September 2025.

The association believes the duty will restore fair competition, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and open a new phase of growth for India’s indigenous imaging industry.

A long-standing voice for fair trade and indigenous growth

Founded in 2002, CMDA-Delhi represents over 5,000 ICT channel partners, manufacturers, and retailers across India and is recognised as the country’s only focused imaging association. Over the years, it has played a decisive role in shaping the policy environment for the printing consumables market.

The association notably succeeded in bringing down VAT on printer cartridges from 12.5% to 5%, following a legal battle that it won in the Hon’ble High Court. It has also taken strong stances against unfair OEM practices and restrictive import guidelines that disadvantaged domestic and parallel import players.

Beyond trade advocacy, CMDA has also been active in streamlining e-commerce policies, working with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and engaging with the Ministry of Commerce and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to shape policy frameworks that support ethical, transparent business.

Under the mentorship of Shri Praveen Khandelwal, Member of Parliament (Chandni Chowk) and CAIT’s National General Secretary, CMDA is expanding its reach through national forums and initiatives, including recent efforts to empower women entrepreneurs within the ICT ecosystem.

Anti-dumping duty: a win for Make in India

Welcoming the government’s decision, CMDA-Delhi stated that the anti-dumping duty on finished toner cartridges, while maintaining zero per cent duty on imported components, will accelerate domestic value addition and enable India to become an export hub for printer consumables.

The association also pointed out that it was instrumental in securing an HSN code for printer toner cartridges and ensuring that basic customs duty was imposed on imported finished products, both key enablers for domestic assembly and manufacturing.

Why the duty matters: industry impact and benefits

The new anti-dumping structure aims to balance competition, curb predatory imports, and unlock the potential of Indian MSMEs. CMDA-Delhi outlined several key advantages expected from the measure:

• Fair competition and cost stability - Indian manufacturers can now operate plants at viable utilisation levels, stabilise costs, and invest in capacity and automation.

• Component and parts revival - Local makers of drums, magnetic rollers, blades, chips, and housings can scale operations, reversing earlier shutdowns caused by ultra-cheap imports.

• MSME and job creation - Growth in packaging, moulding, testing, and logistics will create both formal and self-employment opportunities.

• Boost to remanufacturing and refilling - As imported cartridge prices normalise, refilling and remanufacturing will become viable again, supporting thousands of technicians and service centres nationwide.

• Foreign exchange savings - Import substitution will conserve forex and promote local sourcing of components.

• Export readiness - Once domestic demand is met, Indian manufacturers can supply competitively priced, quality-assured cartridges to global markets.

• New opportunities for importers - Importers can pivot from finished goods to component distribution, assembly, and contract manufacturing, aligning with Make in India initiatives.

• Government revenues and compliance - A stronger domestic base widens the tax net, encourages BIS compliance, and limits grey market channels.

A turning point for India’s imaging ecosystem

The association compared the policy shift to the transformation witnessed in India’s pharmaceutical and mobile manufacturing sectors, both of which leveraged anti-dumping and localisation policies to achieve global competitiveness.

“The Indian toner cartridge industry now stands at a similar inflexion point,” CMDA-Delhi stated. “With the right support, it can evolve from import dependency to a globally competitive manufacturing base, supplying quality products to the world.”

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