Centre mulls aluminium import duty hike

Government is considering raising import duty on aluminium products by as much as 5 per cent, among other policy measures, to tackle the unabated import of cheap products that is adversely impacting the sector. 

"Domestic aluminium industry is going through tough time. Some firms have approached Directorate General of Safeguards for a hike in safeguard duty. "If it doesn't happen, we in our pre-budget consultation with Finance Ministry will propose for import duty hike," Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar said. 

He said the government is aware of the situation that the industry is going through and it will take appropriate measures to check that. When asked about the import duty hike, he said: "We will propose to raise it to 7.5 or 10 per cent from the present 5 per cent."