On December 26, India announced that it would enforce six-month restrictions on the import of low-ash metallurgical coke, a vital component in steel production, beginning January 1, 2025. Imports of metallurgical coke with ash content exceeding 18%, typically regarded as lower quality for steelmaking, will remain unrestricted.

The decision seeks to safeguard domestic suppliers from a sharp increase in imports, which have risen by more than 61% over the past four years. The order establishes country-specific quotas, capping imports at 713,583 tons for each of the first two quarters of 2025.

The majority of imports permitted under these restrictions will originate from Poland and Colombia. This follows a proposal made in April by DGTR (the Directorate General of Trade Remedies), which is a division of the federal trade ministry, to restrict annual imports to 2.85 million metric tons for one year.