Stainless steel industry seeks end to QCO relief from July 1

New Delhi: The domestic stainless steel industry has urged the government not to extend the temporary relaxation from the Quality Control Order (QCO) beyond June 30 and to restore the norms from July 1.

The Indian Stainless Seamlesspipes Manufacturers Association (ISSMA) said the industry is grappling with a surge in low-priced imports, facilitated by the temporary withdrawal of the QCO and the alleged circumvention of anti-dumping duties.

The relaxation expires on June 30, with the QCO set to come back into force from July 1.


"The industry's capacity utilisation has fallen to below 50%, threatening the viability of domestic primary manufacturers," Prakash Tatia, spokesperson at ISSMA, told ET.

He said the association had "urged the government to reinstate the QCO at the earliest to prevent the inflow of sub-standard imports".