India JV of ArcelorMittal Withdraws Coke Import Application Following Govt Clearance

AM/NS has dropped its legal battle in the Delhi high court against the Union government's decision to reject its met coke import orders from Indonesia and Poland.

Justice Sachin Datta headed a single bench of the high court which issued a notice to the government and requested its response following a writ petition filed by the unit of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has raised objections over the authorities' refusal to allow the import of 168,300 metric tonnes of metallurgical coke. The company requested relief following the orders' rejection.

A copy of the high court order from 8 April which Mint accessed reveals that the company chose to withdraw its plea after getting approval from the Centre to import more goods.

Media reports indicate that the government has granted permission for 71,500 mt met coke imports from Poland and approved the company's request to reallocate its 88,000 mt import quota from Russia to Poland.

The Indian government import curbs request based on the company's adequate supply of met coke imports in India. The company maintained that the ruling contradicts India’s free trade policy which permits imports under existing orders before any restrictions take effect.The Indian government introduced restrictions on met coke imports through country-specific quotas starting January to boost local suppliers. Key industry players, including ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, have highlighted quality issues in the local met coke supply as a result of this policy shift.

Companies including JSW Steel and Trafigura took legal action against the Delhi HC since their raw material import orders were established before the ban was announced. Citing Clause 1.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy, the companies aimed to fulfill contracts agreed upon before the new curbs.