India aluminium scrap import rises over 22 pct in Apr to Oct

India com reported that India’s aluminium scrap import jumped 22 per cent to 7,73,000 tonne during April to October this fiscal, according to industry body AAI which has demanded higher import duty on the metal to protect domestic players, The Association said that import of aluminium scrap was 6,32,000 tonne during the same period of 2017-18. It said that “During April to October of financial year 2018-19, the import of aluminium scrap was 22 per cent up at 7,73,000 tonne from 6,32,000 tonne in April-October of 2017-18. We had already requested the government to increase the duty on imports of aluminium scrap and apprised the government that Indian aluminium sector may become a victim of escalating trade war between the US and China.” The report further said the local aluminium industry is facing immense threat in the wake of ongoing trade tiff between the two major economies the US and China. It said that India is a natural market and the affected countries are dumping aluminium into India and the US is diverting large volume of scrap to India since EU and other countries have stringent standards for scrap. In July, the AAI had apprised the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the situation which could arise in future. An AAI delegation had urged the government to increase the duty on imports of aluminium scrap, saying the domestic players may become a victim of escalating trade war between the US and China.