(FE)
The government’s policy to protect steel firms from cheaper imports is hitting user industries like GAIL by jacking up input costs by 27-46%. GAIL has said that if things do not change, it needs to be allowed to import cheaper steel. Following complaints by GAIL, the government has warned local steel pipemakers like Welspun to refrain from ‘profiteering’ — if they don’t, it will allow GAIL and others to import cheaper steel pipes.
In an attempt to protect steel firms from imports, the government had, last year in May, come up with the Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products (DMI&SP) policy which mandated local steel be used in preference to imports. Following this policy, and higher import duties, local steel producers also saw their margins rising.A grievance committee headed by the additional steel secretary was set up as part of the DMI&SP, and GAIL has said that local pipe manufacturers are charging it Rs 1.2 lakh per tonne, which is 27-46% more than the last price it paid when it bought such pipes; during this period, it says prices for HR coils rose just 7%.
