India’s domestic steel industry has sought government intervention in curbing steel imports from Iran transshipped through the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Indian Steel Association (ISA), the representative body of Indian steel producers, has said in a communication to the India’s Ministry of Steel.
According to the Indian steel producers, steel imports from Iran transshipped through the UAE during the April-December period of 2018 were estimated at 175,000 mt, more than the imports from Iran during the entire previous fiscal year.
The ISA in its communication to the Ministry of Steel has estimated that in the full fiscal year 2018-19 Iranian steel shipments into India will total around 234,000 mt.
It was pointed out that the landed price of Iranian hot rolled coil (HRC) was around INR 36,350/mt ($527/mt) which was sharply lower than the landed price of ex-China HRC. “These predatory prices are detrimental to domestic producers,” the ISA stated.
The ISA maintained that transshipment of Iranian steel exports to India through the UAE were banned under US sanctions against Iran and the continued shipment of Iranian steel exports to India could attract retaliatory measures from the US administration.