MCMA welcomes new steel minister

Metal Container Manufacturer Association of India (MCMA) welcomes Shri Ram Chandra Prasad Singh who has taken over as Union Minister for steel. The association hopes he will give urgent attention to the pandemic-hit and cash-starved metal packaging sector.

A delegation led by the president of MCMA, Sanjay Bhatia, met the minister on 15 July and briefed him on the importance of the metal packaging industry including the issues it currently faces in terms of acute shortage of its main inputs: tinplate/tin-free steel and various steel products like easy open ends, peel offs, aerosol can components, closures etc.

MCMA further highlighted that the three-month extension of the Quality Control Order (QCO) with continuing Covid-19 conditions in India and overseas, should be extended to March 2022. This order mandates BIS Certification on the major input required by the industry like tinplate and tin-free steel. It imposes restrictions on steel products like easy-open ends, peel off ends, which the industry imports from several foreign countries.

The association has also requested the ministry of steel to allow use of ISO certification materials in addition to BIS certified material.

The minister has given assurance to MCMA that the steel ministry will give the best possible support to the metal packaging industry.

MCMA foresees a key role for metal packaging in the future given the global focus on sustainable principles of reduce-reuse-recycle. Tinplate demand is expected to grow at 4-6% and reach around 770-800 KT by 2024.