India’s Coking Coal Import Dependency: West Asia Freight Shock and the DRI-EAF Structural Hedge | Reclimatize.in
India imports approximately 80 million tonnes of coking coal per year — 100% of its metallurgical coal requirement — from Australia, the USA, Canada, and Mozambique. The West Asia War added 30–40% freight premium to delivered coking coal costs as shipping rerouted from Suez/Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope. At Rs 20,000/t delivered coking coal, this feedstock alone represents approximately Rs 56,000 per tonne of BF-BOF steel produced. DRI-EAF with natural gas eliminates this entirely — replacing coking coal with a fuel that has alternatives, domestic production potential, and no Suez exposure.
