Business
Indian stainless steel sector drowning in Chinese imports
The first half of 2021-22 has seen a 185 per cent increase in stainless steel imports compared to the average monthly imports in the last fiscal, creating havoc for the Indian players.
The import tide of stainless steel from China and Indonesia is fast turning into a deluge destroying many companies on its way, and threatening the very existence of the small, medium and micro industries in India. After all, the first half of 2021-22 witnessed a staggering 185% increase in import volumes of stainless steel flat products compared to the average monthly imports in the last fiscal, fuelled mostly by surge in Chinese and Indonesian imports.
The two countries China and Indonesia, which increased their exports by 300 per cent and 339 per cent, respectively, in the first half of this fiscal compared to the average monthly imports of the last fiscal, now have a share of 79 per cent of the total stainless steel flat product imports in the first half of FY22. It is a significant jump compared to the 44 per cent share in FY21. The average per month imports has jumped from 34,105 tonnes per month in FY21 to 63,154 tonnes per month this current fiscal–FY 22.
Indonesia’s imports share, which was virtually non-existent in 2016-17, has climbed to 23 per cent in the first half of this fiscal, with its average monthly exports increasing from 4,355 tonnes/month in the last fiscal to 14,766 tonnes/month in the first half of this fiscal. China’s average monthly exports too has jumped from 10,697 tonnes/month in the last fiscal to 35,269 tonnes/month in the first half of this fiscal.
The surge in imports was the result of the Finance Ministry’s decision of September 30, 2021 to revoke the imposition of CVD on China (September 2017) and end provisional duties on Indonesia (October 2020), which was based on the recommendations of the Director-General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), after a detailed investigation. The investigation had revealed that the two countries were resorting to non-WTO compliant subsidies to boost their exports to India and causing injury to Indian manufacturers.
In fact, the DGTR and their global counterparts had conclusively proved in its final finding that both these countries provide non-WTO compliant subsidies to the tune of 20 per cent to 30 per cent to their stainless steel manufacturers. And, these subsidies have created an imbalance in the Indian and international markets, reduced the competitiveness of Indian products in the domestic industry, causing material injury and persistent financial stress for home-grown businesses. It has forced the domestic industry to seek redressal from the surge in imports.
In fact, in India a disaggregated study of imported products in the first half of the current fiscal also reveals how excessive dumping has taken place in a particular J3 grade of stainless steel in the country. Imports of J3, a subsidised and dumped 200 series grade of stainless steel, with about 1 per cent nickel and 13 per cent chromium from China, has jumped from an average of 1,779 tonnes/month in 2019 to an average of 4,425 tonnes/month in 20-21 (249 per cent increase) and to average 25,346 tonnes to in just six months of 2021-22 (1,424 per cent) increase compared to the same period last year.
The share of this grade in total imports from China increased 23 per cent in 2019-20 to 72 per cent in 2021-22. Much of this import is even below the scrap prices and it hurts the MSME sector, the hardest. Such dumping also means major losses in terms of national exchequer through tax evasion and revenue losses.
This onslaught of Chinese exports to India has decimated the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), which had to bear the brunt of the impact. In fact, the imposition of provisional CVD on Indonesia in October 2020 and CVD on China in place from September 2017, had provided a “level-playing field” to these players, which got a much-needed relief from the dumped subsidised imports. The MSME, an industry having the capacity to produce about 1.2 lakh tonnes of hot and cold-rolled flat products, was able to operate at 90 per cent plus capacity utilization between October 2020 to February 2021.
However, the MSME sector suddenly finds itself grasping for breath to survive after the announcements of the 2021-22 Budget. Small-scale stainless- steel rollers and re-rollers, who make ingots from recyclable scrap as the first step in stainless- steel product manufacturing, and then produce hot and cold rolled materials for the all-India market, find themselves swamped by a massive and subsidised surge of imports from China and Indonesia.
Today, more than 80 induction furnaces and 500 patti/patta units, which provides primary raw materials for various downstream industries, are in dire straits. These downstream industries manufacture a variety of stainless steel household goods such as kitchenware, tableware, cooking range, sanitary items, cutlery pots, etc.
Prakash Jain, President, All India Stainless Steel Cold Roller Association, says: “The smaller Indian stainless steel players finds it virtually impossible to compete with the state-subsidised Chinese players, who get an 18 per cent incentive to export, under invoice their products by changing the label of the products to avoid paying duties and sell it at Rs 15 to Rs 17 per tonne cheaper in the Indian market.”
According to Jain, Gujarat has 70 rolling mills, each employing around 300 people and 50 induction furnaces, which makes ingots, the raw material for rolling mills and employs 500 each.
Not only will many of these jobs be lost resulting in massive unemployment but force many manufacturers to turn traders unless the CVD is imposed on imports from China and Indonesia.
Mumbai, Oct 24: India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $4.5 billion to $702.3 billion for the week ended October 17, mainly driven by an increase in the value of gold reserves, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday.
India’s gold reserves held by the RBI as part of the country’s foreign exchange reserves surged by $6.2 billion to surpass the $108.5 mark for the first time on the back of a sharp rise in the price of the precious metal and increased purchases by the central bank.
Foreign currency assets, the largest part of the reserves, fell by $1.7 billion to $570.4 billion during the week. These assets are affected by changes in the value of currencies such as the euro, pound, and yen.
India’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by $30 million to $4.62 billion during the week, RBI data showed.
The share of gold in India’s foreign exchange reserves has almost doubled over the past decade – from below 7 per cent to nearly 15 per cent – reflecting both steady central bank accumulation and a surge in global bullion prices. This is the highest proportion of gold in the country’s total reserves since 1996-97, according to market analysts.
Gold prices have shot up by as much as 65 per cent in 2025 due to the increased demand for the precious metal as a safe haven asset amid rising geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and the trade wars triggered by the US tariff hikes.
Central banks worldwide have accumulated substantial amounts of gold as a safe-haven asset in their foreign exchange reserves amid uncertainty created by geopolitical tensions. The share of gold maintained by the Reserve Bank of India as part of its foreign exchange reserves has almost doubled since 2021.
The RBI has added approximately 75 tonnes to its gold reserves since 2024, bringing its total holdings to 880 tonnes, which now constitute about 14 per cent of India’s total foreign exchange reserves, according to a Morgan Stanley report.
India is the world’s second-largest consumer of gold, next only to China and relies on imports to meet demand. Buying gold is deeply rooted in Indian culture and is used in large quantities in the form of jewellery gifts for the bride and bridegroom during wedding ceremonies. It also constitutes an important channel of safe-haven investment and a status symbol for families and individuals.
Mumbai, Oct 24: Indian stock markets opened lower on Friday amid reports that the United States may launch a fresh investigation into China over their 2020 trade deal.
Rising oil prices, driven by new US sanctions against Russia, also weighed on investor sentiment.
At the opening bell, the Sensex was down 113 points, or 0.13 per cent, at 84,443, while the Nifty slipped 27 points, or 0.10 per cent, to 25,866.
Commenting on Nifty’s technical outlook, analysts said, “The index continues to exhibit a sideways to bullish bias, holding firmly above key support levels at 25,700 and 25,750.”
“Immediate resistance is placed at 25,950, with further upside targets at 26,000 and 26,100. The overall trend remains bullish, provided the index sustains above 25,780 on a closing basis,” they added.
Heavyweights such as Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, Titan, Power Grid, ITC, NTPC, Tech Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Axis Bank were among the top laggards, losing up to 3.5 per cent.
On the other hand, ICICI Bank, Tata Steel, Bharat Electronics (BEL), Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, and State Bank of India were trading in the green, helping limit the overall losses.
In the broader markets, buying activity continued as the Nifty MidCap index inched up 0.05 per cent, and the Nifty SmallCap index added 0.09 per cent.
Sector-wise, metal stocks were the top performers, with the Nifty Metal index rising 1 per cent, followed by modest gains in the Realty and Financial Services indices.
However, FMCG stocks faced pressure, with the Nifty FMCG index falling 1.4 per cent, making it the biggest sectoral loser of the day.
“Given the current setup of heightened volatility and mixed market signals, traders are advised to adopt a cautious “buy-on-dips” approach, especially when using leverage,” market analysts said.
Booking partial profits during rallies and maintaining tight trailing stop-losses will be key to managing risk effectively, as per the analysts.
Mumbai, Oct 23: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited on Thursday reported a 17 per cent drop in its net profit for the second quarter of the current financial year (Q2 FY26).
The company’s profit stood at Rs 327.50 crore for the quarter ended September 2025, compared to Rs 395.05 crore in the same period last financial year (Q2 FY25), according to its stock exchange filing.
Revenue also fell 6.15 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 1,519.50 crore, down from Rs 1,619.11 crore in the previous fiscal.
Operating income or EBITDA declined 6 per cent to Rs 465.43 crore, while the EBITDA margin was almost unchanged at 30.6 per cent, compared to 30.7 per cent last financial year.
Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive India, said the quarter’s performance reflected a temporary impact from disruptions among distributors and retailers due to the GST rate revision.
She added that the company has worked with its partners to ensure consumers benefit from the lower prices that took effect after the tax change.
“Despite the short-term challenges, we remain focused on our long-term strategic goals and will continue to invest in our brands,” Narasimhan said.
Alongside the results, the company announced a first interim dividend of Rs 24 per share for the financial year 2025–26, amounting to a total payout of Rs 652.8 crore.
The record date for the dividend has been set as November 3, and the payment will be made on or before November 19, according to the company’s exchange filing.
Colgate-Palmolive (India)’s quarterly results were released after market hours. On Thursday, its shares closed 1.16 per cent higher at Rs 2,286.90 on the NSE.
However, the stock has fallen 31.35 per cent over the past year and 14.69 per cent so far in 2025.
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