
Coal deficit: 8 trade bodies write to PM
The Hindu
With no respite from the severe coal shortage faced by several units, eight industry associations representing fertilizer, paper, textile, aluminium, sponge iron and other sectors, have made a joint r
With no respite from the severe coal shortage faced by several units, eight industry associations representing fertilizer, paper, textile, aluminium, sponge iron and other sectors, have made a joint representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urgent intervention.
In a letter, dated February 7, the trade bodies have stressed that the persisting coal crisis has been hurting the overall industry, especially the power-intensive plants and SMEs, forcing them to operate at reduced capacities with a looming risk of plant closures.
It also argued that at a time when Coal India Limited’s (CIL’s) production level has increased by 7% month-on-month, there is no rationale behind ‘such abysmal scare supply’ to the industries that is impeding the growth of the manufacturing sector.

The U.S. has launched two investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 against India and other economies to examine practices that may be ‘unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce’. One probe examines whether countries, including India, are using excess manufacturing capacity to export to the U.S. in a manner that hurts American businesses, while another looks at whether countries have taken ‘sufficient steps’ to prohibit imports of goods produced with forced labour.












