Import of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (Met Coke) Placed under QR
Restriction for Six Months from 1 Jan to 30 June 2025, DGTR puts an NTB
·
India Sets Six-month Import
Cap on Key Steelmaking Ingredient Met Coke
·
Coal India to Gain as Steel
Industry Suffers
·
Import
of low ash metallurgical coke have been placed under "Restriction" as
per the country-wise Quantitative Restrictions (QR) for a period of six months,
effective from 01.01.2025 upto 30.06.2025
·
Domestic
producers from rising imports, which have surged by over 61% in the past four
years
India will impose
restrictions on the import of low-ash metallurgical coke, a key steelmaking
ingredient, for six months starting January 1, 2025, a government order said on
Thursday.
The move aims to protect
domestic producers from rising imports, which have surged by over 61% in the
past four years, according to data from the federal trade ministry.
The order sets
country-specific quotas, limiting imports to 713,583 tonnes for each of the
first two quarters of 2025.
Most imports allowed under
the restriction will come from Poland and Colombia.
Import of metallurgical coke
with ash content above 18% - generally considered poor quality for steelmaking
- remains unrestricted.
This decision follows an April, opens
new tab
proposal by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies, an arm of the federal
trade ministry, to limit annual imports to 2.85 million metric tons for one
year.
However, leading steelmakers,
including JSW Steel (JSTL.NS), opens new tab and ArcelorMittal Nippon
Steel, opposed the move, arguing it could
hinder steel production in India, the world's second-largest crude steel
producer.
[DGFT Notification No. 44/2024-25
dated 26 December, 2024]
Subject: Imposition of Quantitative
Restriction on import of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke under Chapter 27 of ITC
(HS) 2022, Schedule- I (Import Policy).
S.O.
(E): Whereas , the Authorized Officer i.e. DGTR in
its final findings, vide Notification No. 22/4/2023-DGTR dated 29.04.2024 read
with Notification dated 28.05.2024, published in the Gazette of India,
Extraordinary , Part I, Section 1, following a safeguard investigation under
the Safeguard Measures (Quantitative Restrictions) Rules, 2012, had recommended
in terms of Section 9A(l) of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act
, 1992, to impose country-wise quantitative restrictions on import of the
following product, under the FTDR Act:
"Low Ash Metallurgical Coke,
that is, Metallurgical Coke having ash content below 18% under the HS Code 2704
excluding coke fines I coke breeze and ultra-low phosphorous metallurgical coke
with phosphorous content up to 0.030% with size upto 30 mm with 5% size
tolerance for use in ferroalloy manufacturing"
2. Accordingly, in exercise of powers conferred
by Section 3, Section 5 and Section 9A of FTDR Act, 1992, read with paragraph
1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, as amended from time to time,
the Central Government after considering the aforesaid Notification dated
29.04.2024 of DGTR and in consultation with the concerned
Ministries/Departments and other industry stakeholders, hereby makes the
following amendments by inserting a new Policy Condition at Sl. No. 8 in
Chapter 27 of ITC (HS), 2022, Schedule- I (Import Policy) :-
|
8. |
(a) Import of "Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (HS Codes
27040020, 27040030, 27040040, 27040090) having ash content below 18%,
excluding coke fines / coke breeze
and ultra-low phosphorous metallurgical coke with phosphorous content up to
0.030% with size upto 30 mm with 5% size tolerance for use in ferroalloy
manufacturing " shall be "Restricted". (b) Import shall be permitted only
against an Import Authorization issued by DGFT for the specified country for
imports during 01.01.2025 to 30.06.2025. (c) Metallurgical Coke with high ash content, that is,
ash content above 18% is outside the scope of "Restriction”. |
3. The country-wise quantitative
restriction (QR) for said item shall be as under:
|
Country ↓ |
Quantitative Restriction (in MT) |
|||
|
Quarter → |
Jan-March, 2025 |
Apr-June 2025 |
Total |
|
|
Australia |
25,638 |
25,638 |
51,276 |
|
|
China PR |
39,323 |
39,323 |
78,646 |
|
|
Colombia |
1,24,886 |
1,24,886 |
2,49,771 |
|
|
Indonesia |
33,182 |
33,182 |
66,364 |
|
|
Japan |
1,04,990 |
1,04,990 |
2,09,980 |
|
|
Poland |
2,53,168 |
2,53, 168 |
5,06,336 |
|
|
Qatar |
810 |
810 |
1620 |
|
|
Russia |
44,591 |
44,591 |
89182 |
|
|
Singapore |
23,239 |
23,239 |
46,478 |
|
|
Switzerland |
40,887 |
40,887 |
81,774 |
|
|
UK |
38 |
38 |
76 |
|
|
Others |
22,831 |
22,83 1 |
45,662 |
|
|
Total |
7,13,583 |
7,13,583 |
14,27,166 |
|
4. The
said import shall be subject to the following conditions:
i. Imports would be permitted through EDI ports
only to facilitate electronic/ real-time monitoring of the allocated quota;
ii. The QR would be monitored on quarterly
basis;
iii. Total imports allowed in any quarter shall
not exceed the total of that quarter;
iv. Any unutilised quantity for Quarter 1 shall be
added to next Quarter;
v. In case, the countries with specific quantity
exhaust their allocated QR, such countries may use the available residual
quantity; and
vi. If necessary, further modalities will be
notified separately governing such QR, in accordance with relevant legal
provisions.
5. The country-wise quantitative restrictions
shall be effective for a period of six months only and will cease automatically
on 30.06.2025. Further, the Central Government reserves the right to review and
make any changes in the said safeguard measures at any point of time, as deemed
fit.
6. If required, the procedure in regard to
seeking import authorization from the DGFT shall be notified separately. The
application for restricted import authorization may be filed on DGFT website.
This
issues with the approval of Minister of Commerce & Industry.