Anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of “Printed Circuit Board Tools” originating in or exported from China PR

F. No. 6/46/2025-DGTR Government of India
Department of Commerce Ministry of Commerce & Industry
(Directorate General of Trade Remedies) 4th Floor, Jeevan Tara Building 5, Parliament Street, New Delhi – 110001

Date: 03.11.2025

Case No. AD (OI)-41/2025

To,

All interested parties

Subject: PUC/PCN methodology in the anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of

“Printed Circuit Board Tools” from China PR.

Attention of all interested parties is invited to the above-mentioned investigation initiated vide Notification No. 6/46/2025-DGTR dated 26th September 2025. The non-confidential version of the application filed by the domestic industry was intimated to all interested parties vide email dated 7th October 2025.

Whereby, the interested parties were granted an opportunity to present their comments on the scope of the product under consideration (PUC), and product control number (PCN) methodology, within a period of 15 days from the date of intimation, which ended on 22nd October 2025.

The PUC was defined as under:

““3. The product under consideration in the present application is "Printed Circuit Board (*PCB") tools" namely PCB drill and PCB router. PCB drill and PCB router are also known as PCB drill bits and PCB router bits respectively. Board Tools" originating in or exported from China PR,

4. The PUC is limited to PCB drill and PCB router with a shank diameter of standardized size of 3.175 mm. The term shank diameter refers to the thickness of the cylindrical portion of the tool. The shank portion of the tool is clamped to the machining apparatus, ensuring compatibility with standard collets and spindles used in PCB manufacturing equipment.

5. PCB drills and PCB routers are precision tools integral to PCB fabrication, serving distinct but complementary purposes. PCB drills are specifically engineered to create holes that enable both mechanical and electrical interconnections across multiple PCB layers, thereby supporting through-hole component installation for robust fixation and establishing conductive pathways between copper layers via plated vias. Drill sizes generally range from 0.20 mm to 7.50 mm in diameter, with flute profile defined by the configuration and number of grooves or flutes playing a vital role in chip evacuation and heat dissipation.

Depending on requirements, drills may feature single-flute, double-flute, or hybrid flute geometries, with or without under-cut, to optimize hole accuracy, minimize breakage, and improve wall quality, with selection based on board stack-up thickness, material properties, and tolerance requirements for plated through holes ("PTH") and non-plated through holes ('NPTII).

6. PCB routers are used to shape the PCB substrate by cutting slots or defining the board outline without creating through-holes, their functions including defining the PCB's external profile with clean edges and creating internal cut-outs, slots, and pathways for assembly. Router bits typically range from 0.50 mm to 3.175 mm in diameter, with the choice of bit size depending on board thickness, outline complexity, and navigational tolerances. The number and geometry of flutes on router bits, typically varying between I and 8, are tailored to the material type and routing application, while flute geometry such as helix angle, pitch, and profile directly affects heat buildup, swarf management, and edge finish quality, with design variations like up cut, down cut, chip breaker, diamond cut, single flute, and two flute selected to meet specific routing goals.

7. The PUC is classifiable under Chapter 82 titled " Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal", under tariff items 82075000, 82077090 and 82079090 of the first schedule to the Customs Tariff Act,

8. The custom classification is only indicative and is not binding on the scope of the present investigation.”

The PCN was defined as under:

“8. The applicant in the application have proposed PCNs for making a fair comparison of the imported product with the like article produced by the domestic industry. The PCNs as suggested by the applicant in the application are given below: Parameter Type PCN Code Type of PCB Tool PCB Drill PCB D PCB Router PCB R

Comments have been received only from the applicant/domestic industry on the scope of the PCN.

The Authority revises the scope of PCN as notified in the initiation Notification No. 6/46/2025-DGTR dated 26th September 2025 as given below:
a) Type of PCB Tool (Drill/Router), b) Diameter Ranges as specified below, and c) Coating/uncoating Types as specified below

For PCB Drills

**For example, the PCN for PCB Drill of “flute diameter” as 1.80 mm, with “coating” will be PCDCCC.

For PCB Routers:

Parameter-1 Parameter-2 Parameter-3 PCN Code PCB Router Flute Diameter in MM PCN Code Coated/Uncoated If coated If Uncoated PCBR < 0.80 A CC/UC PCBRACC PCBRAUC PCBR 0.800 to 3.175 B CC/UC PCBRBCC PCBRBUC PCBR

3.175 C CC/UC PCBRCCC PCBRCUC

**For example, the PCN for PCB Router of “flute diameter” as 1.90 mm, with “coating” will be “PCBRBCC”.

Accordingly, all interested parties are directed to file their questionnaire response based on the above revised PCN methodology of product under consideration within 37 days from the intimation e-mail dated 7th October 2025 i.e. by 13th November, 2025.

This issues with the approval of the Designated Authority.

(Vishal Sharma) Director (FT) Tel No.: 011-23408726 Email id: jd15-dgtr@gov.in Parameter-1 Parameter-2 Parameter-3 PCN Code PCB DRILL Flute Diameter in MM PCN Code Coated/Uncoated If coated If Uncoated PCBD < 0.20 A CC/UC PCDACC PCDAUC PCBD 0.20 to 1.74 B CC/UC PCDBCC PCDBUC PCBD 1.75 to 3.54 C CC/UC PCDCCC PCDCUC PCBD 3.55 to 4.54 D CC/UC PCDDCC PCDDUC PCBD 4.55 to 5.54 E CC/UC PCDECC PCDEUC PCBD 5.55 to 6.54 F CC/UC PCDFCC PCDFUC PCBD 6.55 to 7.00 G CC/UC PCDGCC PCDGUC PCBD

7.0 H CC/UC PCDHCC PCDHUC