The product is imported from a number of countries, and primarily from Oman, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.
The imports have surged steeply to 154,449 MT in 2012-13 and further to 208,496 MT in 2013-14.
The applicants have claimed that the increased imports of the product have caused and are threatening to cause serious injury to the domestic producers, DGS said.
Production of the domestic industry has slightly declined in 2013-14 (annualised) to 551,086 MT as against the base year 2010-11 when it was 552,864 MT.
The domestic industry suffered loss in sales, market share, caused by increased imports, the applicants said.
DGS said the domestic industry has requested for immediate imposition of safeguard measures for a period of four years in their application.
"The domestic industry has also requested for imposition of provisional safeguard duty in view of steep deterioration in performance of the domestic industry as a result of increased imports," it said.
