Published on, Sept. 17 -- September 17, 2025 2:26 AM

Pakistan's new Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Act, signed into law in 2025 under President Asif Ali Zardari, is being presented as legislation to protect domestic industries and provide legal clarity. But beneath the surface, it carries the markings of a policy deliberately at odds with the spirit of the Pak-China relationship. By imposing sweeping anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods while selectively exempting Chinese grant-funded high-profile projects retroactively, the law undermines economic certainty, raises project costs, and frays diplomatic trust.

The Act retroactively exempts Chinese grant-funded projects-from July 1, 2020 onward-from anti-dumping duties. This applies to la...