The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) issued final findings dated 28 April 2026 in the anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (ash content ≤ 18%, HS 27040010, 27040020, 27040030, 27040090) originating in or exported from Australia, China PR, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan and Russia, recommending a downward revision of the provisional anti-dumping duties previously imposed by Notification No. 41/2025-Customs (ADD) of 31 December 2025. The final findings are recommendatory; a definitive implementing customs notification from CBIC is expected before the provisional measures expire around June 2026. Significant reductions in duty rates are recommended for Indonesian and Japanese origin imports; the investigation covers six coke-exporting countries competing with domestic producers led by Tata Steel, JSW Steel, SAIL, Jindal Steel (JSPL) and AMNS India.

Analyst notesShow

Mechanism

The investigation was initiated under the Customs Tariff Act 1975 read with the Anti-Dumping Rules 1995 (as amended), covering Low Ash Metallurgical Coke (LAMC) defined as coke with ash content at or below 18% falling under HS headings 27040010, 27040020, 27040030 and 27040090. The complainant domestic industry — led by Tata Steel and JSW Steel (integrated blast-furnace steelmakers) alongside SAIL and AMNS India — alleged that imports from the six named countries were being dumped at prices below normal value, causing material injury to domestic LAMC producers.

DGTR's final findings dated 28 April 2026 confirm the existence of dumping from all six countries but recommend a downward revision of the provisional duty rates set in Notification No. 41/2025-Customs (ADD) of 31 December 2025. The downward revision is most pronounced for Indonesia and Japan, reflecting narrower dumping margins established in the final injury determination compared to the provisional measures. The standard two-step implementation process applies: DGTR final findings are recommendatory to the Ministry of Finance; CBIC will issue the definitive anti-dumping duty notification (expected by June 2026, coinciding with expiry of the provisional measures).

The product scope — LAMC ash ≤ 18% — reflects standard blast-furnace-grade feedstock. Ultra-low phosphorus met coke for ferroalloy manufacturing (P ≤ 0.030%, size 30 mm ±5%) is carved out, protecting ferroalloy smelters that lack domestic LAMC supply at the required specification.

Downstream implications

Indian steel cost-base: Met coke is typically 8-12% of total blast-furnace

steelmaking costs. The downward revision (vs. provisional measures) is a modest net positive for downstream hot-metal production economics at Tata Steel Jamshedpur, JSW Vijayanagar, SAIL Bhilai and AMNS India Hazira.

Indonesia and Japan supply-chain relief: Significant duty reductions for

Indonesian (Kalimantan met coke exporters) and Japanese (Nippon Steel, JFE) origin cargoes create a relative landed-cost advantage over Chinese, Australian, Colombian and Russian supply for the 2026–2028 window.

China-coke import-dependence trajectory: China remains the dominant global

LAMC exporter; the final duty confirmation sustains the post-2025 policy of managed import substitution from non-Chinese sources. Read alongside the IN quantitative-restrictions safeguard investigation on metallurgical coke (initiated by DGTR; parallel track to the AD investigation).

Steel safeguard cluster coherence: This AD determination reinforces the

IN trade-remedy perimeter for steel-value-chain inputs, sitting alongside the definitive 12%/11.5%/11% three-year safeguard duty on steel flat products (2025-12-30) and the CRNO AD duty on Chinese electrical steel (2025-12-19).