Director General (DG) of safeguards has recommended 20% provisional safeguard duty imposition for a period of 200 days on hot-rolled flat products of non-alloy and other alloy steel in coils of a width of 600 mm or more.

The hike in the safeguard duty comes after the domestic steel industry had represented to the government about their financial health deteriorating because of surge in imports of steel at a price lower than their domestic cost of production.

Also, several domestic manufacturing units had represented to the government on this regard. Also DG safeguards in department of revenue have received many applications for imposing safeguards duty.

DG safeguards has investigated in this matter after Indian steel companies including Steel Authority of India, Essar Steel and JSW Steel filed complaints saying they make for half of the country's overall production of steel and they are incurring financial losses due to cheaper imports.