Aluminium players mope over import spate

Battling the global headwinds of imports and subdued London Metal Exchange (LME) prices, India’s aluminium industry has voiced its discontent over the preferential treatment meted out to steel makers. As key metal commodities, both the steel and aluminium industries have faced the rising stream of imports over the past few years. The Union government’s flurry of interventions — declaration of minimum import price (MIP), putting in place safeguard duties, hiking basic customs duties and anti-dumping duties – have led to steel imports tumbling by 21 per cent over the last three years. But the aluminium industry, which has been stranded without government benefits, has seen imports soaring by 40 per cent in the comparable stretch of time.