📄 2026.4.22Free Sample Preview: South Asia (India) Steel Weekly Report

Report Period: April 15 – April 22, 2026
Analyst: Amy SteelInsights, amyinsights.com

📌 Core Insight Preview (Week of April 21, 2026)

This week marked a critical inflection point for the Indian steel market. After six consecutive weeks of price rallies fueled by Iranian supply shocks and cost-push inflation, the market experienced its first sentiment-driven correction. However, deteriorating logistics and a fresh all-time low for the Rupee are rebuilding the cost floor faster than demand is softening.

Preview of This Week’s Top Developments:

• Safeguard Duty Steps Down to 11.5%: Effective April 21, the flat steel safeguard duty dropped from 12% to 11.5% . While a scheduled reduction, the marginal 0.5% change provides negligible relief (~$2.5/t) and does not reopen the import window as domestic HRC remains structurally cheaper.
• West Coast Ports Reach Critical Congestion: The situation at Mundra and Nhava Sheva has deteriorated significantly. On-time vessel arrivals have plummeted to 31-33% , with berthing delays now extending to 7-10 days . This poses a material risk to raw material availability and delivery schedules for May shipments.
• Rupee Hits Fresh Historic Low: USD/INR touched 93.78 , adding approximately $5-8/t in additional import cost pressure for every 1% further depreciation. This currency weakness acts as an invisible trade barrier reinforcing domestic price support.
• Iran Conflict Impact Shifts to Energy Chain: The focus has shifted from steel capacity loss (13-15m tpy) to LNG/LPG shortages . Reports indicate up to 50% production cuts in the Ahmedabad cluster and force majeure notices at major mills. This is tightening domestic supply for specific finished steel categories.

📊 Price Snapshot (Directional Indicators)

*Full parity calculations and 10+ price tables available in complete report.*

💡 Actionable Intelligence Preview (Partial)

For Procurement Managers:
In the full report, we break down the exact landed cost parity between domestic HRC and imported material under the new 11.5% duty regime. We provide a clear directive on whether to accelerate domestic procurement or hedge currency exposure given the port congestion outlook.

For Export Sales Managers:
We map the 2.3 million tonne billet supply vacuum created by Iran‘s absence in Southeast Asia. The full report identifies which Indian mills are best positioned to capture this export window and how to structure CFR quotes with the updated CBAM carbon cost breakdown (Q1 2026: €75.36/tCO₂e) .

🔍 Why Download the Full Report?

This free sample only scratches the surface. The complete  weekly briefing provides the granular data required to execute with confidence in a volatile market.

Full Report Includes:

• Price & Cost Analysis: Full domestic spot prices and China FOB benchmarks.
• Import Parity Calculations: Detailed landed cost estimates vs. domestic prices with duty breakdowns.
• Supply Chain Radar: Mill inventory levels, NMDC iron ore auction trends, and real-time port congestion metrics.
• Policy & Compliance Tracker: DGTR investigation timelines and BIS exemption expiry dates.
• Dual-Perspective Action Advice: Separate, specific recommendations for Buyers (Wait/Monitor/Buy) and Sellers (Quote/Avoid/Hedge).

📥 Ready to make data-driven decisions?

[Download the Full Weekly Report] 

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📧 Need a custom deep-dive on a specific grade or region?
Contact Amy directly for bespoke consulting: amy@amyinsights.com