India considers imposing restrictions on coke imports

India will soon decide whether to impose restrictions on imports of metallurgical coke. Reuters reports this with reference to a source familiar with the matter.

In April of this year, the country proposed to limit annual imports of this raw material to 2.85 million tons by introducing quotas for specific countries. In this way, India seeks to protect local suppliers of low-ash coke.

The move was opposed by leading steelmakers such as JSW Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel, who said it would hit production.

The government held consultations with industry representatives. They have now been completed. The decision, according to the source, is being considered by the Federal Ministry of Commerce and is expected very soon. The steel industry is pressuring the government to take this step, on the one hand, and coke producers on the other. In particular, in June, the Indian Ministry of Steel appealed to the Ministry of Commerce, saying that the restrictions would hit local steelmakers.

In April, the Directorate General of Trade Related Measures (DGTR) said that the restrictions are aimed at protecting domestic coke producers from growing imports, which have increased by more than 61% over the past four years. The agency proposed import quotas from major suppliers, including China, Japan, Indonesia, Poland and Switzerland.

As GMK Center reported earlier, the Indian Ministry of Steel has proposed a 25% safeguard duty on imports of certain steel products. The country’s steel producers are concerned about the growth of imports of cheaper steel products, especially from countries in the free trade zone with preferential tariffs.