Aluminium firms seek tariff, non-tariff support fearing sluggish demand

India's aluminium manufacturers have asked the government to lower tariffs and give them other help, sensing that domestic consumption wil drop as Chinese imports surge during the coronavirus outbreak.

India’s aluminium consumption is tipped to reduce by 1.5-2 million tonnes in FY21 as the pandemic has considerably weakened demand from consuming industries.

“Earlier, the Indian aluminium industry was mulling for capacity expansion to meet the growing aluminium demand. But with Covid-19 outbreak, the market sentiment is quite low and there is need for revival of growth. Depending on depth and duration of the crisis, aluminium prices may still go down