The Indian government has decided to hold consultations with wide spectrum of steel industry participants before taking a final decision on imposing curbs on import metallurgical coke, government sources said on Wednesday, August 28.
The sources said that Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Ministry of Commerce has asked the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) to hold wide consultations with more steel mills and not only domestic coke producers before making any further recommendations on the issue.
In April, DGTR in response to complaints filed by domestic met coke producers had recommended country-wise quantitative restriction on met coke imports capping it at 2.85 million mt per year.
Leading steelmakers, such as JSW Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel have opposed the import curbs proposed by the DGTR.
The Indian Steel Association (ISA), representing domestic steel companies, on August 1 petitioned the Ministry of Trade to ease the DGTR's proposed import restrictions on met coke that is said to limit steel mills' capacity expansion.
The move to impose the import restrictions created divisions within the government with the Ministry of Steel communicating to its counterparts in Ministry of Commerce stating that it is not in favour of such a move as it will risk domestic steel output.