The Seamless Tube Manufacturers’ Association of India (STMAI) on Thursday urged the government to introduce a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme covering at least 10 per cent of exports of their products, ahead of the Union Budget. STMAI President Shiv Kumar Singhal also urged stricter measures to curb illegal imports of seamless pipes, which are affecting domestic producers. The association represents India’s manufacturers of seamless pipes and tubes.Singhal called for raising the customs duty on such imports from the current 10 per cent to 20 per cent in the upcoming annual budget to safeguard the domestic industry.
He added that these concerns were discussed during a meeting with the steel ministry, and the association is hopeful that they will be addressed in the forthcoming budget.Such incentives would boost India’s export growth in the sector, noting that domestic manufacturers produce high-quality seamless pipes for local use while actively exploring international markets. India is emerging as a key player in the global seamless pipe market, exporting 172,000 tonnes of seamless steel pipes worth USD 606 million in 2023. These pipes, classified under HS code 7304, primarily serve the oil and gas, engineering, and infrastructure sectors, with major export destinations including the United States, Italy, Canada, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.Meanwhile, imports of seamless pipes and tubes from China more than doubled in FY25, reaching 4.97 lakh metric tonnes, according to STMAI. In comparison, the country had imported 2.44 lakh metric tonnes from China in the previous financial year, as cited by The Economic Times. The minimum import price of seamless pipes is Rs 85,000 per tonne, while Chinese pipes are being sold in the Indian market in small quantities at Rs 70,000 per tonne. This large-scale dumping has led to the under-utilisation of domestic manufacturing capacity.
