The Authorised Officer shall determine serious injury or threat of serious injury to the domestic industry taking into account, inter alia, the following principles, namely:-
(a) in the investigation to determine whether increased imports have caused or are threatening to cause serious injury to a domestic industry, the Authorised Officer shall evaluate all relevant factors of an objective and quantifiable nature having a bearing on the situation of that industry, in particular, the rate and amount of the increase in imports of the goods concerned in absolute and relative terms, the share of the domestic market taken by increased imports, changes in the level of sales, production, productivity, capacity utilisation, profits and losses, and employment; and
(b) the determination referred to in clause (a) shall not be made unless the investigation demonstrates, on the basis of objective evidence, the existence of the causal link between increased imports of the goods concerned and serious injury or threat thereof:
Provided that when factors other than increased imports are causing injury to the domestic industry at the same time, such injury shall not be attributed to increased 18 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)] imports and in such cases, the Authorised Officer may refer the complaint to the authority for anti-dumping or countervailing duty investigations, as appropriate.