India’s met coke imports decline to 2.5-year lows amid tightened quotas

• Volumes from Indonesia plummet 72% m-o-m in Feb’25
• Domestic prices up INR 2,000/t ($23/t) since Dec’24

India’s metallurgical coke (met coke) imports saw a sharp decline of 64% m-o-m in February 2025 to 0.13 million tonnes (mnt), from 0.34 mnt in January 2025, as per provisional data maintained with BigMint. Volumes have fallen to two-and-a-half year lows with similar levels last seen in June 2022.

In comparison to February 2024, met coke imports in February 2025 were 63% lower, against 0.33 mnt imported in the same month last year.

Country-wise import trends

India’s imports of met coke from Poland rose by 12% m-o-m in February 2025 to 0.07 mnt, up from 0.06 mnt in January 2025. However, imports from Indonesia plummeted by 72% m-o-m from 0.19 mnt in January to just 0.05 mnt in February. This sharp decline reflects the ongoing shifts in India’s sourcing patterns under the new regulatory framework.

Port-wise import trends

At the port level, Hazira experienced a significant increase in imports, handling 0.07 mnt in February 2025, a rise of 119% compared to the 0.03 mnt in January 2025. Meanwhile, Paradip Port saw a sharp 58% decline in imports m-o-m to 0.05 mnt from 0.13 mnt in January 2025.

These import trends highlight the impact of the government’s new import restrictions, which are reshaping India’s met coke import landscape, reducing dependency on foreign supplies while supporting the growth of domestic production.

Changing dynamics of Indian met coke market

Quotas weight on imports: This significant drop in imports is largely due to the quota restrictions enforced by the Indian government in December 2024. These restrictions limit the import of low-ash met coke to 713,583 tonnes per quarter for the first half of CY’25, with an exemption for met coke containing more than 18% ash, which protects domestic producers.

This proactive measure followed allegations raised by five leading companies (BLA Private, Jindal Coke, Saurashtra Fuels, Vedanta Malco Energy and Visa Coke), highlighting the adverse impact of rising imports on domestic producers.

Increased domestic sourcing: Following decline in imports, Indian steel mills shifted to increased domestic sourcing of met coke which resulted in a steep rise of over INR 2,000/t since December 2024. BigMint’s benchmark assessment of BF-route met coke rose from a monthly average of INR 31,800/t exw-Jajpur in December 2024 to INR 34,120/t in February 2025. However, quality and availability remain a concern in case of domestic sources, cited mill sources.

Outlook

India’s met coke imports are expected to remain low in H12025 due to government-imposed quota restrictions. While some shifts in sourcing may occur, domestic production will play a larger role in meeting demand, with limited impact on overall import volumes.