India imports 2.9 MT steel from China in Apr-Jan: Govt

Global steel industry is going through difficult times, says Minister of State for Steel and Mines Vishnu Deo Sai

As much as 2.9 million tonnes of steel was imported from China in the first 10 months of the current fiscal, as against 8.1 MT of total inward shipments of the metal, the government said today.

"As against imports of about 8.1 million tonnes of steel to India, during April 2014 to January, 2015 about 2.9 million tonnes has been from China," Minister of State for Steel and Mines Vishnu Deo Sai said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

The global steel industry is going through difficult times, likewise, the domestic steel sector has also been subdued, he said.

Due to excess capacity/production and decrease in demand in China, the minister said that steel from China has been finding its way to countries, including India.

Sai further said that domestic steel manufacturers and other stakeholders have been representing against the Chinese imports.

"Steel is a deregulated sector. However to ensure that only quality of steel is imported in to India, Ministry of Steel has notified steel and steel product (Quality Control) order on March 12, 2012, as last amended on December 4, 2014," the minister said.