Copper producers want waiver of 2.5% import duty on concentrates

China, Japan, Korea, European Union (EU) are already importing copper concentrate at zero duty

Copper producers in the country have called for a waiver of 2.5 per cent duty on imports of copper concentrates to ensure viability in operations. Domestic copper manufacturers lean heavily on concentrates sourced from other countries since India lacks ample and high-quality deposits. Only four per cent of their demand is met through indigenous supplies.

In the aftermath of the shutdown of Vedanta Thootukudi smelter in Tamil Nadu, India turned into a net importer of copper in FY19 after 18 years. The industry believes the inverted duty structure is to be blamed for the uptrend in imports. 

While imports of