[CCI Menyetujui Merger BMM Ispat ke JSW Steel]

India’s steel ministry is unlikely to introduce new measures to curb cheap steel imports in the near term, despite requests from domestic steelmakers to raise import protection, according to a government source. India imported around 3.5 million tonnes of finished steel during April-August, up 29.5% year on year, with China accounting for 31.8% of total imports. A petition has reportedly sought an increase in the safeguard duty from the current 11.5% to above 20%, but the government is not considering a hike at present as domestic steel prices are already high. India had introduced safeguard duties on some steel products in December 2025 and also started an anti-dumping investigation into hot-rolled steel imports from China, Japan and Russia in June. Meanwhile, domestic steel prices have increased in recent weeks due to higher coking coal costs and stronger demand after the monsoon, with infrastructure and automotive demand showing improvement. Higher imports remain a key risk to domestic mills’ margins if import competition strengthens further.

Vedanta Iron and Steel Limited's saleable steel production rose 4% year on year to 532,000 tonnes in Q2 FY27, although output fell 9% quarter on quarter due to scheduled furnace maintenance. Hot metal production increased 3% year on year to 552,000 tonnes. TMT bar output rose 12% to 112,000 tonnes, while ductile iron pipe production surged to 22,000 tonnes from 7,000 tonnes a year earlier. Billet production fell 31% year on year to 12,000 tonnes. During April-September, saleable steel production increased 4% year on year to 1.114 million tonnes, while hot metal output rose 3% to 1.153 million tonnes.

Asosiasi industri yang mewakili UMKM di Coimbatore telah mendesak pemerintah India untuk sementara mencabut bea masuk dan bea pengamanan yang berlaku atas baja selama enam bulan hingga Maret 2027, dengan alasan kenaikan tajam harga bahan baku dan ketersediaan yang terbatas. Dalam representasi bersama kepada Perdana Menteri Narendra Modi, asosiasi tersebut menyatakan harga baja pasar meningkat sekitar 8.000–10.000 INR/ton antara Agustus dan September. Badan industri itu juga meminta penundaan enam bulan atas persyaratan BIS dan Quality Control Order yang berlaku untuk baja impor, pembentukan Komite Pemantauan Harga Baja, serta pendirian depot SAIL di Coimbatore untuk meningkatkan ketersediaan baja. Belum ada keputusan pemerintah atas usulan-usulan tersebut yang diumumkan.