【SMM Stainless Steel Market】Indian Stainless Steel Makers Urge End to Non-BIS Import Relaxation, Citing Mill Closures

Canada Nickel said on July 31 it received a positive Decision Statement from Canada's Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature for its Crawford nickel project in the Timmins district of northeastern Ontario, the first mining approval issued under the amended Impact Assessment Act since 2019. The project was referred to the federal Major Projects Office and selected for Ontario's One Project, One Process framework. CEO Mark Selby said the federal permit took four years and the project moved from its fifth drill hole to this milestone in under seven. The company will now advance detailed engineering, financing and remaining provincial and federal permits ahead of a construction decision targeted for 2027. Crawford would also be North America's only primary chromium source.

Canada Nickel's Crawford nickel project in Ontario has received federal approval following the completion of Canada's impact assessment process, clearing a key regulatory milestone for project development. The Crawford project is expected to become one of the world's largest nickel operations and is the first mining project approved under Canada's 2019 Impact Assessment Act. The company estimates the mine will have a 41-year operating life and play a strategic role in supplying low-carbon nickel for the electric vehicle battery and stainless steel industries.

​​​​​​​Falling nickel benchmarks, a fragmented overseas supply base and a Malaysian enforcement crackdown lift India's stainless scrap imports 11.4% while pushing the average import price down 6.6% in the 12 months to February 2026