Arcelor Nippon, a steelmaker in Japan, says India's plan to curb raw materials ignores the Red Sea Crisis
A letter revealed that ArcelorMittal India's joint venture warned New Delhi trade officials privately about the dangers of curbing imports of an important raw material used in steelmaking.
The curbs proposed by the second largest producer of crude iron and steel in the world could affect output. They cap imports of low ash metallurgical coal, also called met coke.
The April proposal also recommended setting met coke quotas for exporting countries. This was after increasing shipments had caused "serious injury to domestic producers".
In a letter dated June 3, the company said that India should not ignore the geopolitical environment and take measures that could negatively affect its steel industry.
The plan also stated that the quotas set for European countries "will seriously affect" imports of the region.
Requests for comments were not answered by the company, India's Commerce Ministry or the Trade Remedies Body.
The date of implementation has not yet been determined.
The Red Sea Crisis has already caused reroutings of ships and increased ocean shipping costs, according to the company.
The company does use met coke from abroad. India has more than doubled its imports in the last four years. Its top suppliers are Poland, Switzerland, China, and Indonesia.
The Suez Canal is being avoided by shipping firms because of the Houthi attacks on ships in Yemen's Red Sea.
The company insisted that India should reconsider its proposal, as it could have a negative impact on the steel industry. It hasn't publicly commented on this matter.
The Indian steel ministry, which cited risks to the domestic production, also opposed limits on met coke imports.
AM/NS India stated in its letter that the authorities proposing curbs on met coke did not take into consideration the possibility of an increased demand as steelmakers plan capacity additions.
The steel industry will be less able to increase its growth and capacity due to the quantitative restrictions on imports, it said.
AM/NS India is one of India's largest steel producers, with an annual capacity of approximately 9 million metric tonnes. It competes with JSW Steel Ltd. and Tata Steel Ltd.
