India’s DGTR recommends lowering antidumping duties on imported met coke

India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies has recommended a reduction in antidumping duties on metallurgical coke imports from several countries, according to a notification dated April 28, sparking optimism among overseas coke producers.

The notification recommends taxing imports of met coke with less than 18% ash content (HS codes 27040010, 27040020, 27040030, and 27040090). This excludes ultra-low phosphorous met coke used in ferroalloy manufacturing, defined as having a maximum phosphorous content of 0.030% and a size of 30 mm (with a 5% tolerance).

This proposal follows a provisional antidumping duty that took effect at the beginning 2026 and is applicable until June 30.

The trade regulator has recommended a significant reduction in antidumping duties (ADD) on Indonesian and Japanese coke imports, though it did not mention any justification for the move.

The DGTR's investigation, which covered the period of October 2023 to September 2024, and a review of historical data, concluded that antidumping duties were necessary to counter dumping and injury to India's domestic met coke markets.

Before imposing provisional antidumping duties on Dec. 31, 2025, the Indian government had managed imports through country-specific quotas throughout 2025. These measures were triggered by an influx of low-cost Indonesian coke that forced domestic producers to operate at a loss and scale back production.

India's imports of Indonesian coke stood at 558,979 mt over January and February, while for the full year of 2025, they stood at 1.41 million mt, according to the latest data from S&P Global Market Intelligence's Global Trade Analytics Suite.

"The recommended reduction in antidumping duties on imports may increase [seaborne coke] demand from Indian end-users, while reducing demand and buying interest for coking coal," a Singapore-based trader said.

One Indonesian coke producer suggested the proposed duty reductions reflect India's anticipated growth in import demand.

With India's crude steel output projected to maintain its steady climb, "Coke requirements will naturally increase year over year," the producer said. This outlook is supported by recent Joint Plant Committee (JPC) data, which shows that India's crude steel production surged by 17 million mt from April 2025 to March 2026.

However, some domestic coke producers took the news with trepidation. "[The recommended] duties are not enough to sustain domestic coke producers... [and] now there is no scope [for the government] to reconsider this," a major eastern India-based coke producer said, adding this measure will increase Indonesian coke imports and pressurize domestic coke prices once again.

Several other domestic coke producers were still reviewing the new recommendations.

Meanwhile, an Indian steelmaker who imports from Indonesia attributed the duty cut to revised DGTR calculations but downplayed its impact. They noted that a $16/mt reduction (roughly Rupees 1,500/mt) is insufficient to fundamentally shift demand or incentivize domestic buyers to switch to imports.

According to the notification, the proposed five-year antidumping period will commence from the date the provisional duty was first levied. This structure implies a backdating of the definitive duty to the start of 2026.

Industry sources indicate that government protocols support this retrospective adjustment, which would see the difference between provisional and definitive rates settled in subsequent billing cycles. Ultimately, this remains subject to formal approval by the Ministry of Finance.

"If this is going to be for five years, it's good news because that is giving more market certainty for [seaborne] coke trades," an international trader said, adding, "We definitely could use more certainty in a very uncertain world now."

"Maintaining antidumping duties at those rates for five years means the competitiveness of Indonesian coke against its major competitors can be sustained over that period," the Indonesian coke producer said.

Market participants are now awaiting the final notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) regarding the definitive duties and their implementation period. While no official timeline has been announced, market participants expect a decision by June 2026, coinciding with the expiry of the current provisional measures.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed 65/63 CSR met coke FOB Indonesia at $262/mt on April 29, unchanged day over day. Platts assessed seaborne 65/63 CSR met coke prices on a CFR India basis, also steady day over day, at $285/mt on April 29.