India continued to be a net importer of steel in August 2025, despite an increase in exports, according to the Ministry of Steel’s monthly economic report.
Finished steel imports reached 0.67 mln tons in August, down 30.6pct YoY but up 47.2pct from July, the report said citing provisional data from the Joint Plant Committee (JPC).
India has largely remained a net importer of steel since April 2024, with the exception of June and July 2025. The highest net imports during this period were recorded in September 2024 at 0.62 mln tons.
Steel exports rose to 0.53 mln tons in August 2025, compared with 0.34 mln tons a year earlier and 0.49 mln tons in July.
For April-August FY26, India recorded net imports of 0.28 mln tons, as imports continued to outpace exports.
South Korea, China, and Japan were the leading suppliers to India, while Italy, Belgium, and Spain remained key markets for Indian steel.
