Global and domestic steel companies including ArcelorMittal, SAIL and Tata Steel will put forth their views before the revenue department which is holding a public hearing next month as part of the safeguard probe on certain steel products to protect local players.
Directorate General of Safeguards in the Revenue Department had initiated safeguard investigation concerning imports of 'Hot Rolled flat sheets and plates (excluding hot rolled flat products in coil form) of alloy or non-alloy steel' into India in December last year.
SAIL, Essar Steel, JSW Steel and Jindal Steel and Power had moved the Directorate for levy of safeguard duty on the product to "protect the domestic producers" from increased imports.
"It has been decided by the Director General, Safeguards to hold a public hearing in the safeguard investigation concerning imports of 'Hot Rolled flat sheets and plates (excluding hot rolled flat products in coil form) of alloy or non-alloy steel' into India on February 5, 2016," the Public Hearing notice said.
The list of "interested parties" contain 124 names from domestic producers; foreign nation/ delegates/embassies; importers/users/ users association; and foreign producer/ exporters.
The Directorate had earlier sought for views of "all interested parties".
As per the list of interested parties, foreign producer/exporters, include ArcelorMittal, China Steel Corporation, Nippon Sumitomo and Posco.
The domestic parties include, Tata Steel, Welspun Steel, and Bhushan Steel. Alstom India, BHEL and Bombay Iron Merchants' Association are among the interested parties from the side of importers/users/ users' association.
The domestic players had asked the Directorate for immediate imposition of safeguard measures for four years in their application.
It had also made a case for imposition of provisional safeguard duty in view of "steep deterioration" in performance of the domestic industry as a result of increased imports of the product under consideration.
The imports increased to 7,08,816 tonne in 2015-16 (annualised), from 6,01,667 tonne in 2012-13.
The applicants, which had a market share of 73 per cent in 2014-15, fell to 70 per cent during 2015-16 (A). During the same period, the market share of imports went up to 13 per cent from 12 per cent.
