Rising imports and cheap Chinese steel have alarmed Indian iron and steel industry

These talks took place amid ongoing demands from leading steel producers for higher tariffs.

India became a net importer of steel in the fiscal year ended March and this trend continued; The country's finished steel imports reached the highest level in the last five years in April and May. Provisional government data shows that India imported 1.1 million metric tons of finished steel in the period, up 19.8 percent from the previous year.

While China remains the top exporter to the country in recent months, India is closely monitoring the flow of cheap Chinese steel. Major Indian steel companies, including Tata Steel, have raised alarm over growing concerns about Chinese imports.

Concerned about the significant increase in imports, Indian steel producers have repeatedly called on the government to intervene and increase import duties. However, the federal Ministry of Steel has so far resisted these calls, citing strong domestic demand.

Industry experts have suggested that the government should consider increasing the basic customs duty on steel from 7.5% to 12.5% ​​due to the increase in imports.