As much as 2.9 MnT of steel was imported from China in the first 10 months of the current fiscal, out of the total 8.1 MnT of Steel imports , the Minister of Steel said today.
“As against imports of about 8.1 MnT of steel to India, during April 2014 to January, 2015, about 2.9 MnT has been from China,” Minister of State for Steel and Mines Vishnu Deo Sai said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.
The global steel industry is going through difficult times, and the Indian domestic Steel sector has also remain subdued, he said. Due to excess capacity/production and lower Steel demand, Steel from China has been finding its way to various countries, including India, the minister mentioned.
“Steel is a deregulated sector. However, to ensure that only quality steel is imported to India, Ministry of Steel has notified the customs with Steel & Steel Product (Quality Control) Order March 12, 2012, last amended on December 4, 2014,” the minister said.
Increasing import of Steel from China has become a major threat for domestic Steel industry. Several representations were made to Steel Ministry from various associations. Steel makers are quite hopeful that government will increase the import duty on finished Steel products in the upcoming Budget 2014-15.
List of Steel items and corresponding Custom Duty
| Sr. No. | Item | CTH No. | Existing Custom Duty 2014-15 |
| 1 | Pig iron | 72.01 | 5.00% |
| 2 | Semis | 72.07 | 5.00% |
| 3 | Bars & Rods | 72.13 | 5.00% |
| 4 | Structurals | 72.16 | 5.00% |
| 5 | HR Sheets/plates (Non Alloy) | 72.11 | 7.50% |
| 6 | HR Coils (Non Alloy) | 72.08 | 7.50% |
| 7 | CR Coils/sheets (Non Alloy) | 72.09 | 7.50% |
| 8 | GP/GC Sheets (Non Alloy) | 72.1 | 7.50% |
| 9 | HRGO/HRNGO (Non Alloy) | 72.08 72.11 | 7.50% |
| 10 | HR/CR alloy steel (flat rolled) other than items of Headings No. 72253090, 72254019, 722550 and 72259900 | 5.00% | |
| 11 | Flat Rolled Alloy products of heading 7225 3090, 72254019, 722550 and 72259900 | 7.50% | |
| 12 | Tinplates W/W and TFS seconds | 72.10 72.12 | 10.00% |
| 13 | Defectives CR/coils | 72.09 | 10.00% |
| 14 | Stainless steel HR coils for coin blanks | 72.19 | 7.50% |
| 15 | Melting scrap (iron, steel & stainless steel) | 72.04 | 2.50% |
| 16 | Re-rollable scrap | 72.07 | 2.50% |
| 17 | Ships for breaking | 89.08 | 2.50% |
| 18 | Iron ore | 26.01 | 2.50% |
| 19 | Coking coal of ash content below 12% | 27.01 | 2.50% |
| 20 | Coking coal of ash content above 12% | – | 2.50% |
| 21 | Steam Coal | 27.01 | 2.50% |
| 22 | Metcoke | 27.04 | 2.5% |
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