New Delhi, Mar 13 (KNN) Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik stated on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s threats to impose high tariffs would likely have minimal impact on India’s steel sector due to limited exports to the United States.

Speaking to reporters at an industry event, Poundrik emphasised that India’s steel exports to the US represent a negligible portion of the country’s total production.

“The US tariffs won’t have much impact on India’s steel industry as our domestic market is strong, and only a small quantity is exported to the US,” Poundrik explained.

He noted that India produced approximately 145 million tonnes of steel in 2023-24, with only 95,000 tonnes—less than 100,000 tonnes overall—exported to the United States.

The Steel Secretary dismissed concerns about potential export disruptions, stating, “If out of 145 million tonnes, we are unable to export 95,000 tonnes, it doesn’t really matter.”

During his address at a Steel Research Technology Mission of India (SRTMI) event, Poundrik highlighted India’s growing domestic steel consumption.

He projected that the country’s annual per capita steel consumption would increase from the current approximately 100 kg to 158 kg by 2030, further strengthening the domestic market’s importance to the industry.

(KNN Bureau)