Overview

• GMOEA filed a formal representation on September 14 urging the central government to drop any move to extend export duty to ore below 58% Fe.
• Speculation about a duty stems from an August 26 stakeholders’ meeting and a September 2 Advisory Committee whose terms reportedly include export‑policy rationalisation.
• GMOEA says Goan ore is largely unsuitable for domestic steelmaking, with mills preferring higher‑grade ore from eastern India and Bellary.
• The association warns of stockpiling, wastage, and environmental risks as mine‑head inventories rose from 126 million tonnes in 2020–21 to an estimated 180 million tonnes in 2024–25, per the Mines Ministry report.
• An added duty, GMOEA argues, would threaten livelihoods, erode over Rs 800 crore in annual revenue from three operating mines, deter future auctions under the nascent regime of 12 blocks, and raise costs due to higher coking coal use and logistics.