The Indian Chemical Council (ICC) has requested the Directorate General of Systems and Data Management to look into the problem of non-availability of relevant data at a number of customs ports.

In a letter to the Directorate General of Systems and Data Management, the ICC said that assessment of volume and value of imports is one of the most fundamental requirements for filing petitions for imposition of anti-dumping duties.

?Since Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S),  Kolkata, under the Ministry of Commerce, is providing information with significant time lag, the industry in general is using data being compiled and made available by private data compiling agencies,? the ICC said.

These private data compiling agencies are International Business Information Services (IBIS), Infodrive, Balaji Data Information Services among others.

"These data compiling agencies have informed that relevant information is not being made available by a number of customs ports," the ICC said.

In view of non-availability of this data, the ICC said, the volume and value of imports being calculated for the most recent period remains grossly understated.

?It is significantly impacting the petitions being filed by the Indian industry as the volume and value for most recent period is getting understated.

"In view of the above, we request you to kindly look into the problem of non-availability of relevant data make necessary arrangements so that all ports make available their data to the data compiling agencies," it said in its letter.