[CCI aprova fusão da BMM Ispat com a 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.

Associações industriais que representam as MPMEs em Coimbatore pediram ao governo indiano que suspenda temporariamente, por seis meses, até março de 2027, as tarifas de importação e salvaguardas aplicáveis ao aço, citando aumentos acentuados nos preços das matérias-primas e disponibilidade restrita. Em uma representação conjunta ao primeiro-ministro Narendra Modi, as associações afirmaram que os preços de mercado do aço aumentaram cerca de 8.000 a 10.000 rúpias por tonelada entre agosto e setembro. As entidades industriais também solicitaram o adiamento por seis meses dos requisitos aplicáveis do BIS e da Ordem de Controle de Qualidade para o aço importado, a criação de um Comitê de Monitoramento de Preços do Aço e o estabelecimento de um depósito da SAIL em Coimbatore para melhorar a disponibilidade do aço. Nenhuma decisão do governo sobre as propostas foi anunciada.