Posted on 03 Nov 2025
Indian steelmakers have urged the government to introduce additional measures to curb rising steel imports, particularly from countries such as China, as increasing inbound shipments continue to put pressure on domestic production and prices.
According to data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel), China produced 746.3 million tonnes (MT) of crude steel between January and September 2025, more than six times India’s output of 122.4 MT during the same period. In September alone, China’s crude steel production stood at 73.5 MT, compared to India’s 13.6 MT.
Despite India’s significant installed capacity of 7.5 MT in stainless steel production, the sector is currently operating at around 60% capacity, largely due to the impact of cheap imports.
Steel Industry.
Discover more
bike
Kolkata
Entertainment center
New Delhi
Sports
Indian steelmakers have urged the government to introduce additional measures to curb rising steel imports, particularly from countries such as China, as increasing inbound shipments continue to put pressure on domestic production and prices.
According to data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel), China produced 746.3 million tonnes (MT) of crude steel between January and September 2025, more than six times India’s output of 122.4 MT during the same period. In September alone, China’s crude steel production stood at 73.5 MT, compared to India’s 13.6 MT.
Advertisement
Despite India’s significant installed capacity of 7.5 MT in stainless steel production, the sector is currently operating at around 60% capacity, largely due to the impact of cheap imports.
Advertisement
In response, the government has implemented several measures to protect the competitiveness of the domestic steel industry. The Ministry of Steel has introduced over 100 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) in recent years, restricting the entry of non-BIS-compliant steel products into the Indian market. The latest QCO issued in June extended restrictions to certain steel inputs as well.
“The validity of QCOs can be further extended to prevent substandard and cheap materials from entering the country,” an industry representative said, adding that additional safeguards are needed to support domestic producers under the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
In March, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) recommended a 12% provisional safeguard duty for 200 days on specific steel products to protect local manufacturers from a surge in imports. However, stainless steel producers have urged the government to take similar action, as the duty did not address their concerns.
A high-level committee under NITI Aayog is expected to meet steel industry leaders next week to discuss the issue of rising imports, according to sources.
Market data from BigMint shows domestic steel prices fell to a five-year low in October, driven by surging imports and other market pressures. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also flagged the sharp rise in steel imports, particularly from countries offering lower prices, and called for policy measures to boost domestic competitiveness.
India imported 0.79 MT of finished steel in September 2025, up from 0.69 MT in August, marking the sixth consecutive month of net steel imports. While shipments from Korea, Russia, and Indonesia increased, those from China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan declined compared with September 2024.
During the first half of FY26, India remained a net steel importer, with inbound shipments surpassing exports by 0.47 MT despite a 40% increase in export volumes to 4.43 MT.
Source:The Statesman
