India Considers Import Restrictions On Metallurgical Coke Amid Steel Industry Concerns

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Dec 13 (KNN) In a critical development for the steel industry, India might make a decisive move regarding import restrictions on metallurgical coke, a crucial component in steel production.

Sources close to the matter indicate that the federal trade Ministry is on the verge of announcing a resolution to a complex policy deliberation that has significant implications for both domestic coke producers and steel manufacturers, reported Reuters.

The proposed plan, initially put forward in April, aims to protect local suppliers of low-ash metallurgical coke by implementing country-specific import quotas.

The proposed restrictions would limit annual imports to 2.85 million metric tons over a one-year period, targeting major suppliers including China, Japan, Indonesia, Poland, and Switzerland.

The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) cited rising imports-which have increased by more than 61 percent over the past four years-as the primary motivation for these potential trade measures.

However, the proposed restrictions have sparked considerable debate within the industrial sector. Leading steelmakers such as JSW Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel have vocally opposed the move, arguing that import limitations would significantly impact steel production output.

The federal steel ministry echoed these concerns in June, formally communicating potential negative consequences to the trade ministry.

The current situation reflects a delicate balance between competing industrial interests.

As one anonymous source described it, there are 'conflicting pressures weighing on the decision,' with domestic met coke producers advocating for protection on one side and the steel industry warning of potential production challenges on the other.

After extensive consultations with various stakeholders, the decision now rests with the federal trade ministry.

While the precise details of the impending decision remain confidential, industry observers are closely monitoring the situation.

As India, the world's second-largest crude steel producer, prepares to make its announcement, the potential import restrictions could have far-reaching consequences for both domestic and international steel supply chains.

(KNN Bureau)

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