Recently there has been a major delay in the transportation of Japanese steel in India. Steel exports from Japan were stuck in Indian ports because the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC) was not obtained.

These delays are related to the suspension of Quality Control Committee meetings in India from September 2024 onwards. As a result, Japanese companies have to pay high stranded costs, which has frustrated trading activities.

Similar complaints were also made by Indian importers that their steel containers had been waiting in the port for almost two months.

These delays have led large Indian steel producers to increase pressure for restrictions on steel imports because cheap imports are weakening their profitability. However, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have opposed these restrictions, arguing that domestic steel prices are high and cheap imports are vital to their competitiveness.