The Government imposed a final safeguard duty on steel imports through Notification No. 02/2025-Customs (SG). The measure is aimed at protecting India’s domestic steel manufacturers from import surges. The duty follows a declining rate structure: 12% from April 2025 to April 2026, 11.5% from April 2026 to April 2027, and 11% from April 2027 to April 2028. It helps connect trade remedies, domestic industry protection and import policy.

The duty applies to hot rolled and cold rolled coils, plates, metallic-coated sheets and colour-coated sheets covered under HS codes 7208-7212 and 7225-7226. The action is based on DGTR investigation findings dated August 16, 2025. DGTR is relevant here because it investigates trade remedy cases in India, and the sequence from investigation findings to the Government’s final duty decision can be tested directly.

For RAS and UPSC-style preparation, this example shows how import pressure, domestic industry protection and trade policy can meet in one duty decision. In prelims, likely points include the notification number, the three duty rates, the covered steel products and the HS-code range. In mains, it can be used as an example of how the Government may use duty measures to give relief to domestic manufacturing when import pressure affects producers. The key boundary is that this is not a general steel policy; it is a final safeguard duty on selected steel products.