Goa requests MoF to levy nil export duty on low-grade iron ore

The Goa government urged the finance ministry to bring down the duty on low-grade iron ore to nil.

Days after the Centre increased the duty on exports of iron ore to 50%, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urging her to impose nil duty on low-grade iron ore on Monday.

In a bid to raise domestic availability, the Centre has increased the duty on iron ore exports to 50%.

In a statement issued last evening, the chief minister's office said vide notification dated May 21 that the Centre has imposed a 50% duty on exports of all grades of ore.

Goa's ore mainly being low grade and not processed for steel making in the nation, the state has urged the Ministry of Finance to consider nil export duty rather than 505 on low-grade iron ore exports, as was done since 2016, the CMO said.

The state government further told the media that this is required for sustainable mining in Goa.

In Goa, the iron ore mining industry has come to a halt since March 2018 after the Supreme Court stopped all mining leases.

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