MUMBAI: Three steel firms from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, have moved Bombay high court highlighting what they claimed "illegal import of steel scrap" from their country to India. The petition sought directions to Customs chief to conduct a probe into the "fraudulent practices" associated with the import of steel scrap.
The three firms - Shattaf Steel Ind Co LLC, Emirates Steel LLC, and Arabian Gulf Steel Industries LLC - argued this is causing economic and environmental losses and also affecting the terms of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed between the two countries in May 2022.
Citing that the UAE govt in 2023 levied export fees of AED 400 per unit (MT) on export of industrial waste including steel scrap, they said the move was aimed at addressing the environmental impact of waste disposal and recycling. They claimed the alleged "illegal import to India bypasses environmental oversight, introducing unchecked industrial waste that may not meet India's environmental standards".