Govt to hold Open House on steel import issues

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Ministry of Steel announced on Wednesday that it will conduct an Open House to discuss issues related to the import of steel on October 27 at Udyog Bhavan’s Steel Room in the national capital.

Companies and associations may present their issues related to steel imports in the Open House, the Steel Ministry said in a statement.

The Open House will be conducted from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm and specific time slots will be indicated via e-mail. Walk-ins will not be possible due to logistic challenges and only one representative per organisation is permitted to ensure wider participation, the statement explained.

The Ministry said that any company or association having issues related to import of steel may send their request on the above e-mail to get confirmed time-slots by 11:00 am of October 24.

While sending the e-mail, following information may be included : Name of the Company/Association, issue is related to SIMS/NOC/QCO/others, Name and designation of the participant (third party representation not allowed).

The other information that has to be provides includes reference of SIMS/NOC application, if any; type of industry and product – Auto/Aerospace/Telecom/ Defence, etc, mention of the issue has to be made in in brief (maximum 50 words) and contact details of the nodal person (mobile number and e-mail) have to be provided, the statement further explained.

The development comes in the backdrop of India's steel industry facing challenges from cheaper imports, particularly from China, which is putting pressure on domestic producers by lowering prices and impacting market share. The government imposed a 12 per cent temporary safeguard duty on certain steel imports in April 2025 to protect the domestic market.

These measures follow previous actions and are part of ongoing efforts to safeguard the industry while promoting self-reliance under initiatives like 'Make in India'.

The influx of low-priced steel from major producers like China, Japan, and South Korea has forced domestic manufacturers to lower prices, reduce capacity utilisation, and see their market share decline, according to an RBI report.

--IANS

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