(1) Except as provided herein below, the designated authority may initiate an investigation to determine the existence and effect of any alleged circumvention of the countervailing duty levied under section 9 of the Act, upon receipt of a written application by or on behalf of the domestic industry.

(2) The application shall, inter-alia, contain sufficient evidence as regards the existence of the circumstances to justify initiation of an anti-circumvention investigation.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), the designated authority may initiate an investigation on its own initiative if it is satisfied from the information received from the Commissioner of Customs appointed under the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) or any other source that sufficient evidence exists as to the existence of the circumstances pointing to circumvention of countervailing duty in force.

(4) The designated authority may initiate an investigation to determine the existence and effect of any alleged circumvention of the countervailing duty in force:

Provided that the designated authority shall notify the Government of the exporting country before proceeding to initiate such an investigation.

(4A) The Central Government may, on recommendation of the designated authority, resort to provisional assessment of the imports of the article alleged to be circumventing a countervailing duty in force and may ask a guarantee from the importer, till the time a decision under sub-rule (3) of rule 27 is taken by the Central Government.

(5) The provisions regarding evidence and procedure provided under rule 7 shall apply mutatis mutandis to any investigation carried out under this rule.

(6) Any such investigation shall be concluded within twelve months and in no case more than eighteen months of the date of initiation of investigation for reasons to be recorded in writing by the designated authority.