India’s rolled steel exports recorded strong growth of 33% year-on-year during the period from April to December 2025, reaching around 4.8 million tonnes in the first nine months of the 2025/2026 fiscal year, according to preliminary government data cited by Reuters.
During the same period, rolled steel imports totaled approximately 4.65 million tonnes. Total steel production in the country reached about 123.9 million tonnes between January and April, while rolled steel output amounted to around 117.6 million tonnes in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, compared with consumption of 119.3 million tonnes.
On the policy front, the Indian government introduced safeguard duties at the end of 2025 on certain steel products for a three-year period, aiming to curb low-priced imports, particularly from China. The duties are set at 12% in the first year, 11.5% in the second year, and 11% in the third year. Imports from some developing countries and special steel products, such as stainless steel, are exempt, while shipments from China, Vietnam, and Nepal are subject to the measures.
India’s Ministry of Steel has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to protecting the domestic steel industry from the impact of cheap and low-quality imports. Earlier, in April 2025, the government had imposed a temporary 12% import duty for 200 days. Meanwhile, India continues to expand its steelmaking capacity, having reached an annual capacity of 205 million tonnes in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, and is steadily moving toward its strategic target of 300 million tonnes per year by 2030/2031.
