AMNS India may cut production due to coke import restrictions – Reuters

AMNS India, a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, says restrictions on coke imports could hit production in the country and delay its expansion plans. This is stated in the company’s letter to the government, Reuters reports.

In December last year, the country introduced temporary restrictions on imports of low-ash metallurgical coke for a period of six months, starting in January 2025. The new rules set quotas for countries; in the first half of 2025, the total supply is limited to 713.58 thousand tons per quarter. At the same time, imports of coke with an ash content of more than 18% (lower quality) remain unlimited.

However, local coke suppliers are unable to meet ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India’s product quality requirements, so the company has requested additional allocations to Poland and Japan in a letter to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to support its operations.

In a confidential letter, AMNS India CEO Dilip Ummen said that circumstances are leading the company to a scenario where it will be forced to shut down the blast furnace from June this year or cut production from April.

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India told Reuters that it intends to maintain an active dialogue with policy makers to mitigate the impact of the current import restrictions. They expressed confidence that the interaction will lead to a mutually beneficial outcome that will ensure the smooth operation of the company and the implementation of its expansion plans.

As GMK Center reported earlier, India may extend its import restrictions on low-ash metallurgical coke beyond June this year to encourage steel mills to source this product from local suppliers.