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Steel Ministry Proposes 25% Safeguard Duty on Steel Imports

The duty aims to counter the impact of rising low-cost steel imports.

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The Ministry of Steel has proposed a 25% safeguard duty on certain steel imports to address concerns raised by domestic producers. The proposal emerged during a meeting between Union Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi, attended by senior officials and executives from leading steel companies like SAIL, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, and AMNS India.

Following the meeting, Goyal highlighted on X the importance of steel and metallurgical coke industries in India’s development, emphasising discussions on boosting production, improving quality, and enhancing global competitiveness. Kumaraswamy echoed the sentiment, pledging collaboration between ministries to create a business-friendly environment for domestic steelmakers.

The safeguard duty proposal aims to counter the impact of rising low-cost steel imports, particularly from free trade agreement (FTA) nations. Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik noted that 62% of steel imports currently enter at zero duty under FTAs, with imports rising to 5.51 million tonnes (MT) during April-September 2024-25, compared to 3.66 MT in the same period last year. Imports from China surged significantly, reaching 1.85 MT, up from 1.02 MT a year ago.

Industry experts, including think tank GTRI, have raised concerns about FTAs, highlighting cases where foreign producers partner with Indian firms to re-import steel at concessional rates. GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava also pointed to challenges like port delays and regulatory hurdles, which strain over 10,000 steel user units in India.

The government’s proposal reflects its commitment to supporting the domestic steel industry while addressing trade imbalances and promoting a self-reliant manufacturing sector.

(ET)

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CCU testbeds in Tamil Nadu

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Tamil Nadu is set to host one of India’s five national carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) testbeds, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in the cement industry as part of the country’s 2070 net-zero goal, as per a news report. The facility will be based at UltraTech Cement’s Reddipalayam plant in Ariyalur, supported by IIT Madras and BITS Pilani. Backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the project will pilot an oxygen-enriched kiln capable of capturing up to two tonnes of CO2 per day for conversion into concrete products. Additional testbeds are planned in Rajasthan, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, involving companies like JK Cement and Dalmia Cement. Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed that funding approvals are underway, with full implementation expected in 2025.

Image source:https://www.heavyequipmentguide.ca/

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JSW Cement gears up for IPO

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JSW Cement has set the price range for its upcoming initial public offering(IPO) at US$1.58 to US$1.67 per share, aiming to raise approximately US$409 million. As reported in the news, around US$91 million from the proceeds will be directed towards partially financing a new integrated cement plant in Nagaur, Rajasthan. Additionally, the company plans to utilise US$59.2 million to repay or prepay existing debts. The remaining capital will be allocated for general corporate purposes.

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Cement industry to gain from new infrastructure spending

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As per a news report, Karan Adani, ACC Chair, has said that he expects the cement industry to benefit from the an anticipated US$2.2tn in new public infrastructure spending between 2025 and 2030. In a statement he said that ACC has crossed the 100Mt/yr cement capacity milestone in April 2025, propelling the company to get closer to its ambitious 140Mt/yr target by the 2028 financial year. The company’s capacity corresponds to 15 per cent of an all-India installed capacity of 686Mt/yr.

Image source:https://cementplantsupplier.com/cement-manufacturing/emerging-trends-in-cement-manufacturing-technology/

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