- RINL faces constraints in met coke supplies at competitive prices
- Indonesian coke remains competitive, driving higher imports
India’s Ministry of Steel has urged the Ministry of Finance to reconsider and withdraw the anti-dumping duty (ADD) imposed on imported metallurgical coke (met coke), citing concerns over limited domestic availability and rising input costs for steelmakers, according to an office memorandum dated 18 May 2026.
The communication, issued by the Raw Material & Logistics Section under the Ministry of Steel, referred to the Directorate General of Trade Remedies’ (DGTR) final findings dated 31 December 2025 recommending the imposition of ADD on imported met coke. The ministry noted that it had initially supported the proposal to safeguard domestic met coke producers from low-priced imports and to encourage domestic production capacity expansion.
However, the ministry stated that the intended objectives of the duty have not been adequately achieved following its implementation.
“Concerns have emerged regarding the limited availability of Met Coke in the domestic market and a substantial increase in domestic prices following the imposition of ADD,” the memorandum said.
The ministry highlighted that state-run Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), which is operating under a government-approved revival package, has faced difficulties in procuring adequate met coke supplies from domestic sources at competitive prices. According to the note, the situation has reportedly resulted in nearly a 20% increase in the input cost component related to met coke consumption, adversely impacting the operational viability and competitiveness of the company.
The memorandum further noted that the issue is more severe for small and medium-sized steel producers, many of whom depend on merchant met coke suppliers for their requirements.
The Ministry of Steel also revealed that it had already conducted two meetings with the Indian Metallurgical Coke Manufacturers Association (IMCOM) to address concerns related to met coke supply and pricing, particularly for RINL. Despite these discussions, the domestic market has not been able to ensure adequate availability of met coke at competitive rates to meet steel industry demand, it added.
“While the imposition of ADD was intended to rationalise imports of Met Coke and support the domestic industry, the prevailing market conditions indicate that the desired outcomes in terms of adequate availability and reasonable pricing have not materialised to the extent anticipated,” the ministry stated.
In light of the prevailing market conditions, the Ministry of Steel has requested the Department of Revenue to reconsider the anti-dumping duty on metallurgical coke “for withdrawal in the larger interest of the domestic steel industry.”
India’s met coke scenario
India’s domestic met coke production increased significantly in FY’26, reaching around 51.7 mnt, marking a 9% y-o-y rise from FY’25. A large share of this output – approximately 91% – came from captive production by integrated steel producers.
India’s met coke imports were recorded at 2.2 mnt in January-April’26 up from 1.3 mnt in CPLY, as per provisional data maintained with BigMint. Imports from Indonesia have jumped three fold to 1.6 mnt in January-April’26 vs 0.5 mnt in CPLY. Other major exporters to India were Poland, Colombia, Japan and US. India’s met coke output is characterized by relatively high ash content, which raises slag volumes and increases steelmaking costs. As a result, Indian steelmakers continue to rely on imported low-ash coke, with Indonesia well positioned to remain the dominant supplier.
Price competitiveness lift imports
Indian met coke prices in eastern India assessed by BigMint rose from INR 32,000/t exw Jajpur in end Dec to INR 36,000 by end March, hike of 13%. Further, currently its hovering at INR 36,700/t exw levels.
On the other hand, imported Indonesian met coke offers have risen by 5-10%in CPLY from $270-275/t CFR India in early Feb’26 to $290-295/t CFR by end March. Presently its around $300-305/t CFR India. The landed cost of imported coke was also cost effective than domestic met coke. For instance, landed cost of imported met coke from Indonesia was competitive by about INR 2,000/t than domestic met coke in eastern India.
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