The Indian government has introduced restrictions on the import of low ash metallurgical coke for six months, effective from January 1 to June 30, 2025. The government has introduced quantitative restrictions (QR) on the import of low ash metallurgical coke from select countries, including Australia, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, and the UK.
According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), these restrictions are based on recommendations from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) made in April 2024. Imports will be regulated under country-specific quotas for a six-month period, from January 1 to June 30, 2025. Authorization from the DGFT will be mandatory for importing specified quantities during this timeframe. However, coke with an ash content above 18% is exempt from these restrictions.
The assigned quotas include 51,276 tonnes for Australia, 78,646 tonnes for China, 249,771 tonnes for Colombia, 66,364 tonnes for Indonesia, 209,980 tonnes for Japan, and 506,336 tonnes for Poland. Additional allocations include Qatar (1,620 tonnes), Russia (89,182 tonnes), Singapore (46,478 tonnes), Switzerland (81,774 tonnes), the UK (76 tonnes), and other countries (45,662 tonnes). These restrictions apply for two quarters: January-March and April-June 2025.
The DGFT stated that the procedure for obtaining import authorizations will be outlined separately, with applications to be submitted through its website. Imports will be allowed only via electronic data interchange (EDI) ports to enable real-time monitoring. The quotas will be reviewed quarterly to ensure total imports do not exceed the allocated limits.
