DGFT Minutes

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Minutes of Meeting of Special EFC Meeting held on 24.07.2025 to consider fresh applications for granting Import Authorizations for Import of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke subject to Country-wise QR

A Special Exim Facilitation Committee (EFC) Meeting was held under the Chairpersonship of Ms. Shubhra, Additional Director General of Foreign Trade, DGFT (Hqrs.) on 27.07.2025 at 12.30 AM at Vanijya Bhavan, New Delhi to consider fresh applications for granting Import Authorisations for Import of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke subject to Country-wise QR, for the period 01.07.2027 to 31.12.2027. The following members were present:

1. Shri Manik Chandra Pandit, Director, Ministry of Coal

2. Shri Nitin Jain, Director, Ministry of Steel

3. Ms. Aditi Jha, Asstt. Director ,EP (Engineering), DoC

4. Shri Satya Raja Sekhar G, Joint DGFT

5. Shri Sanjay Kumar Tiwari, Dy. DGFT

6.    At the outset, Chairman EFC welcomed all the members and informed that based 
   

on the quantitative safeguard recommendation of DGTR, vide Notification No.
22/4/2023-DGTR dated 29.04.2024 read with Notification dated 28.05.2024, the DGFT vide Notification No. 44/2024-25 dated 26.12.2024, had earlier notified Country-wise Quantitative Restrictions on import of ‘Low Ash Metallurgical Coke under ITC(HS) Codes 27040020, 27040030, 27040040, 27040090, for a period of six months (from 01.01.2025 up to 30.06.2025). The said SGQR have been reviewed and for the larger benefits of the domestic industry, the same has been extended for another six months i.e.

riod of six months (from 01.01.2025 up to 30.06.2025). The said SGQR have been reviewed and for the larger benefits of the domestic industry, the same has been extended for another six months i.e. from 01.07.2025 to 31.12.2025, vide Notification No. 22 dated 30.06.2025. The country-wise QR are as under :

Country ↓ Quantitative Restriction (in MT) Quarter → Total (Jan – June 2025) Australia 51,276 China PR 78,646 Colombia 2,49,771 Indonesia 66,364 Japan 2,09,980 Poland 5,06,336 Qatar 1620 Russia 89182 Singapore 46,478 Switzerland 81,774 UK 76 Others 45,662 Total 14,27,166

2.1 Procedure for filing application and documentation requirements:- In addition to the above, the Committee was informed that the DGFT has issued Trade Notice No. 07/ 2025-26 dated 02.07.2025 to lay down procedure for filing fresh application for seeking country-wise quota/import authorisation, which inter-alia requires applicant to provide the following information:

6 dated 02.07.2025 to lay down procedure for filing fresh application for seeking country-wise quota/import authorisation, which inter-alia requires applicant to provide the following information:

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1. To file applications from 02.07.2025 up to 13.07.2025.
2. To file country wise application, i.e. one application for one supplier country.
3. The quantity applied should be for the entire period of the restriction. i.e. Six months
4. The following specific Information / Documents regarding production capacity of steel, in-house captive production of Met-Coke, total Met-coke requirement, purchase from domestic sources, actual requirements of LAM coke after meeting supplies from all other sources in the following manner:

Sl. No. Item Qty (in MT)

1. Manufacturing capacity of Steel as on 31.12.2024

2. Manufacturing Capacity of Steel as on 30.06.2025

3. Total requirement of Met-Coke per month

4. In-house coke production per month

5. Stock in Hand as on 30.06.2025

6 Actual requirement of Met-Coke per month

7. monthly Quantity of Met-Coke for which purchase contracts have been executed with Domestic manufacturers

8. Final monthly import quantity requirement

9. Utilisation status of the Allocated quota, if applicable.

f Met-Coke for which purchase contracts have been executed with Domestic manufacturers

8. Final monthly import quantity requirement

9. Utilisation status of the Allocated quota, if applicable.

2.2 The Committee was also informed that it has been decided with the approval of DGFT that allocation of quantities to be considered by a Special EFC (Exim Facilitation Committee) in DGFT comprising representatives of the line Ministry/Department and commodity Division of DoC as in the first round of allocations in Jan. 2025.

3.     Brief details of the applications: 
   

A total of 74 applications were received (till 13.07.2025) from 36 companies/applicants for total 92,84,692 MT which comprises of 28 actual users and 08 traders/aggregators. A total of 17 old applicants and 11 new applicants applied for allocations under AU showing considerable steel production capacities. No application was received for imports from Qatar, Singapore, UK or ‘Others’ category. Brief details of the applications are as under:

Sl. No. Country No. of applications Quantity (In MT)

1. Indonesia 29 26,25,309
2. Japan 10 19,05,940
3. Poland 07 18,79,008
4. Colombia 14 18,78,000
5. China 09 5,48,200
6. Australia 02 2,50,000
7. Russia 02 1,30,000
8. Switzerland 01 79,000 Total 74 92,84,692

Japan 10 19,05,940 3. Poland 07 18,79,008 4. Colombia 14 18,78,000 5. China 09 5,48,200 6. Australia 02 2,50,000 7. Russia 02 1,30,000 8. Switzerland 01 79,000 Total 74 92,84,692

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4.     Criteria adopted by the Committee for arriving at quantities to be allocated: 
   

The committee decided that the allocations are to be made in a way that there is continuity in the operations of the user industry and no sudden scarcity in the availability of the raw material. Accordingly, the following guidelines were adopted (i) The country specific quota shall not exceed in terms of the notified quantity to ensure strict compliance to the SGQR notified by the DGTR for issuance of Import Authorizations. (ii) To consider the captive Met-Coke production, Stock in Hand and the manufacturing capacity of steel of the Applicants while allocating the quantities of Met-Coke (iii) The duplicate applications filed by some applicants for same country were dropped. (iv) For the applications who have applied it for the first time, their allocations will be based on their manufacturing capacity.

5. ‘Actual User Condition’ for import of restricted items:
   The committee was informed that as per para 2.09 of FTP 2023, which deals in ‘Actual User Condition’, “Goods which are importable freely without any “restriction” may be imported by any person. However, if such imports require an Authorisation, Actual User alone may import such good(s) unless Actual user condition is specifically dispensed with by DGFT”.

e imported by any person. However, if such imports require an Authorisation, Actual User alone may import such good(s) unless Actual user condition is specifically dispensed with by DGFT”.

6. Decision of the Committee: After detailed deliberations, the committee based on the criteria adopted at Para 4 and Para 5, took the following decisions: (a) The allocation to actual users was decided based on their production capacities, in-house captive production of LAM Coke and their requirement for six months, and stock in hand. (b) Several producers have made an effort to procure domestically and given declaration regarding their domestic purchases/contracts. The Committee appreciated their intent for encouraging the domestic manufacturing. However, the committee also noted that some of the LAM Coke producers have not shown any interest in domestic sourcing and given NIL information. Accordingly, the committee recommended 10% deduction from their finally allocated quota to nudge them and encourage domestic sourcing. (c) In case of the new applicants (total 11) as mentioned at Para 3 above, the committee decided on the allocations of the quantity. However, issuance of authorisations is subject to physical verification of the actual production capacity of steel and the details provided in their application, through the jurisdictional RAs of DGFT. (d) The issue of grant of authorisation to traders/aggregators was deliberated by the committee in view of the above Para 5 above and it was decided to restrict the current allocation to Actual Users only.

ssue of grant of authorisation to traders/aggregators was deliberated by the committee in view of the above Para 5 above and it was decided to restrict the current allocation to Actual Users only. (e) Transferring allocated quota to any other entity would attract penal provisions for non-compliance to the conditions endorsed on the authorisation. (f) The Application-wise allocation as recommended by the Committee for issuance of Import Authorisation for import of LAM Coke is given in Annexure- I.

 The meeting ended with a Vote of Thanks to the Chair.

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Annexure – I

Applicant-wise allocation of quantities to Steel Manufacturers / Actual Users for issuance of Import Authorisation for Import of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke subject to Country-wise QR

Sl. No. File No. Allocated Quantity (In MT) 1. HQRXIMLAPPLY00002008AM26 1800* 2. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001859AM26 340000 3. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001841AM26 90000 4. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001943AM26 54000* 5. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001928AM26 36000 6. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001945AM26 85000* 7. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001962AM26 10000* 8. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001986AM26 5000* 9. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001824AM26 40500 10. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001831AM26 40000 11. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001800AM26 0 12. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001949AM26 80000 13. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001951AM26 90000 14. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001908AM26 9000 15. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001839AM26 22500* 16. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001835AM26 35000 17. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001931AM26 36000 18. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001984AM26 45000 19.

0000 14. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001908AM26 9000 15. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001839AM26 22500* 16. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001835AM26 35000 17. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001931AM26 36000 18. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001984AM26 45000 19. HQRXIMLAPPLY00001988AM26 9000 20 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001875AM26 9000 21 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001918AM26 60000 22 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001955AM26 18000* 23 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001982AM26 22500* 24 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001888AM26 0 25 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001886AM26 26000 26 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001976AM26 22500* 27 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001745AM26 27000 28 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001916AM26 25000* 29 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001947AM26 5000* 30 HQRXIMLAPPLY00001867AM26 36000

Note:
The allocations with asterisk mark * at Column No. 3 denote new applicants and the issuance of Import Authorisations is subject to physical verification of the actual production capacity of steel and the details provided in their application, by the concerned Jurisdictional Regional Authority (RA) of DGFT.