Rapid Fire
Govt Lifts Import Curbs on Low Ash Metallurgical Coke
- 06 Jan 2026
- 2 min read
India has withdrawn import restrictions on low ash metallurgical coke (ash content below 18%) after imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty, balancing trade protection with assured raw material availability for the steel sector.
- Earlier, in December 2025, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had extended import restrictions on low ash metallurgical coke from 1st January to 30th June 2026 due to the absence of anti-dumping duty.
- However, after the Ministry of Finance approved the imposition of anti-dumping duty, the rationale for restrictions ceased, leading DGFT to remove the quantitative import curbs.
- India has imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty ranging from USD 60 to USD 130 per tonne on low ash metallurgical coke imports.
- Anti-dumping Duty: It is a trade remedial measure imposed on imports sold below their normal value when such dumping causes material injury to domestic producers, aimed at restoring fair competition rather than restricting import quantities.
- Metallurgical coke (met coke): It is a high-carbon, low-impurity fuel obtained from coking coal, used as a key input in blast furnace steelmaking, and produced by heating coal in the absence of air (destructive distillation) in coke ovens.
- It acts as both a fuel and a reducing agent in blast furnaces, helping convert iron ore into molten iron.
- Low ash and ultra-low phosphorous variants are especially important for high-grade steel manufacturing.
- India has large proven coking coal reserves (16.5 billion tonnes of medium-quality and 5.13 billion tonnes of prime-quality coal), yet imports nearly 85% of its coking coal because much of the domestic coal is not suitable for metallurgical use, leaving the steel sector and overall economic stability vulnerable to external supply shocks.
| Read more: Coking Coal as Critical Mineral |
