India's Met Coke Dilemma: Time To Review Anti-Dumping Duty?

The Government may withdraw anti-dumping duty on Low Ash Metallurgical Coke originating from Australia and China imposed in 2016 following a recent mid-term review.

The finance ministry, through a notification dated in 2016, had imposed an anti-dumping duty of $25.20 per ton on met coke imports from China and $16.29 per ton on imports from Australia for a period of five years.

“With major met coke player, Gujarat NRE facing financial difficulties and international prices no longer cheaper, there is a case for review of import duty on LAM coke and a mid-term review was launched in December,” Prabal Bhowmik of Avani Resources Pte Ltd said while addressing Indian Coal Markets Conference organized by mjunction services ltd.

“With major met coke player, Gujarat NRE facing liquidation and international prices no longer cheaper, there is a case for review of import duty on LAM coke and a mid-term review was launched in December,” said Prabal Bhowmik, Business Head (Met Coke) Avani Resources Pte Ltd.

Avani Resources, founded in 2010 in Singapore, was set up by Rawmet Resources Pvt Ltd, founded by a team of steel industry professionals and now manages revenues exceeding $1.75 billion, trading about 15 million tons of commodities sourced from 8 countries across the globe and delivered to clients mostly in India and China.

Indian Metallurgical Coke Manufacturers Association (IMCOM), on behalf of the domestic producers of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke in India, namely Saurashtra Fuels Pvt. Ltd, Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd, Carbon Edge Industries Ltd, Bhatia Coke and Energy Ltd and Basudha Udyog Pvt Ltd had submitted an application for the initiation of investigation and imposition of anti-dumping duty on the dumped imports originating in or exported from Australia and China.

Following sufficient prima facie evidence submitted by the applicants, authorities issued notification in December 2015 initiating the antidumping investigation.

The product under consideration didn’t include other metallurgical coke with high ash content in excess of 18 percent.