The Government of India has officially implemented a phased three-year safeguard duty on steel imports from China, Vietnam and Nepal as part of a broader effort to protect its domestic steel industry from a recent surge in cheaper foreign shipments.
According to the government notification issued on 31 December 2025, the tariff will be levied progressively over the next three years:
• 12 % in Year 1 (April 2025–April 2026)
• 11.5 % in Year 2 (April 2026–April 2027)
• 11 % in Year 3 (April 2027–April 2028)
This structured approach is intended to offer gradual market stabilization while giving domestic steelmakers room to strengthen their competitiveness.
The move follows an earlier temporary safeguard duty of 12 % that was applied in April 2025 for 200 days, which has since expired. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) concluded that the sharp increase in imports of alloy and non-alloy steel products was causing serious injury and threatening further harm to India’s local producers, prompting the recommendation of the extended safeguard duty.
VietnamSteel by Hoa Sen Group
