Report Period: April 7 – 14, 2026

Coverage: India

📌 3 Core Insights

📌 India‘s safeguard duty on flat steel steps down to 11.5% on April 21, 2026 – The 12% duty on HRC, CRC and HDG will drop to 11.5% for the second year. Imports above $675-964/t CIF face no duty. Importers have a narrow window before the rate change. [2†L4-L7]
📌 BIS exemption for stainless steel flat products extended to September 30, 2026 – The waiver covers IS 6911, IS 5522 and IS 15997 (200 and 300 series). This maintains the import window for stainless steel suppliers. [2†L37-L39]
📌 Domestic HRC prices softened INR 400/t w-o-w to INR 59,300/t ($637/t) on subdued demand – Mills had raised list prices earlier in April, but trade-level prices corrected lower. Imported HRC remains INR 5,000-6,000/t more expensive due to 12% safeguard duty and freight. [19†L17-L24]

💡 What You Get in the Full Report

For Procurement Managers (Buyers)

CFR India landed cost model including safeguard duty and MIP thresholds
BIS QCO exemption tracker (stainless steel flat products until Sep 30, 2026)
DGTR anti-dumping sunset review updates (seamless pipes, PTFE)
India domestic spot prices (HRC, CRC, rebar, billet, sponge iron) from BigMint
Iron ore price trends (NMDC/OMC auctions) and raw material cost analysis

For Export Sales Managers (Sellers)

Iran capacity loss (13-15 million tpy) – export opportunities for semi-finished steel to Southeast Asia
Safeguard duty step-down (12% → 11.5% on April 21) – timing strategy for HRC exports to India
CBAM carbon cost impact (€75.36/tCO₂e) on Indian steel exports to Europe
India‘s 35.9% export surge in FY2025-26 – key destination markets and product gaps
USD/INR hedging guidance and port congestion updates

📥 Ready to make smarter steel decisions in India?

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📧 amy@amyinsights.com
🌐 amyinsights.com

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