India sets six-month import cap on key steelmaking ingredient met coke

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 and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel, opposed the move, arguing it could hinder steel production in India, the world's second-largest crude steel producer.