India considers replacing restrictions on coke imports with anti-dumping duties

The Indian government is considering replacing quantitative restrictions on imports of metallurgical coke with a definitive anti-dumping duty of around $125/t, SteelOrbis reports.

According to sources, the Ministry of Steel has consulted with the Ministry of Commerce on this move. A report from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies is expected soon on the investigation into imports of this product. It was conducted at the request of the Indian Metallurgical Coke Manufacturers Association (IMCOM). A decision will be made based on the results of this report.

In June this year, the Indian government extended the quotas on imports of low-ash metallurgical coke for six months, limiting purchases to 1.4 million tons and setting quantitative limits for each country.

In July this year, India’s largest steel producer, JSW Steel, called on the government to increase the company’s quotas for imports of low-ash metallurgical coke (volume unknown) to overcome the shortage. The company cited operational difficulties at two plants in the states of Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.

As reported by GMK Center, in April this year, India initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of low-ash coke from Australia, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, and Russia. The investigation was launched following a complaint from an Indian industry association, which emphasized that there was no difference in the quality of imported and domestic products.