India has taken fresh trade action to shield domestic producers by imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of low-ash metallurgical coke, a key raw material used in steelmaking, even as the country pushes for higher steel output and capacity expansion.

Anti-Dumping Duty Details

According to Reuters, the government has imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty in the range of $60.87 to $130.66 per tonne on imports of low-ash metallurgical coke for a period of 6 months

The duty will apply to shipments originating from Australia, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia, as per a government order,

The move follows an ongoing investigation into alleged dumping practices and comes amid a broader tightening of import norms for metallurgical coke.

Rising Input Costs for Steelmakers

Low-ash metallurgical coke is a critical input in steel production, accounting for an estimated 35–40% of overall manufacturing costs. While the government has rolled out safeguard duties, anti-dumping measures and quality control orders to curb cheap imports of finished steel, access to this essential raw material has simultaneously become more restricted.

This has created cost pressures for domestic steelmakers, particularly at a time when India is scaling up steel capacity, aiming to boost exports and strengthen downstream manufacturing.

Layered Trade Restrictions on Metallurgical Coke

Over the past year, multiple trade controls have been introduced on metallurgical coke imports. These measures trace back to a safeguard investigation initiated in 2023, which led to the 1st round of restrictions.

From January 2025, the government imposed quantitative limits on imports, capping inflows at 1.4 million tonnes per half-year on a country-wise basis. These caps were later extended until December.

Alongside these volume restrictions, an anti-dumping probe covering supplies from Australia, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia resulted in provisional duties ranging between $60 and $120 per tonne, imposed in November 2025.

Read More: India Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on China’s Refrigerant Gas and Steel Products!

Conclusion

While the latest anti-dumping duty is aimed at protecting domestic producers, the combination of quantitative caps and higher import costs has tightened the supply of a crucial steelmaking input. As India pursues aggressive steel production and export goals, industry watchers caution that sustained pressure on raw material availability could raise costs, impact efficiency and slow investment across the steel value chain

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