Cabinet secretary: not aware of iron ore export duty hikes

NEW DELHI: Cabinet secretary K. M. Chandrasekhar said on Tuesday he was not aware of any plan to hike export duty on iron ore.

Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh said last Friday India's export tax on iron ore should be raised to at least 20 per cent, as more of the non-renewable resource should be conserved for domestic steelmakers.

India last raised the export duty on iron ore lumps in April to 15 percent from 10 per cent. Last December, it introduced a 5 percent export duty on iron ore fines.