Chinanews, Guangzhou, March 20 - India has begun to impose a 300-rupee tariff on each ton of export iron ores since March 1, 2007, which might bring China a loss of some $500 million.

 

China hopes that India will stick to the original price, as agreed upon in all its contracts signed with China before March, and Baosteel Group is working hard to negotiate with India to that end.

 

"Chinese iron & steel enterprises have just finished price negotiations with the three major international iron ore suppliers, but India's tariff hike will surely produce some bad effects upon the steel market in the future," said one who works in the iron and steel industry in Guangdong Province.

 

Currently, more than 100 Chinese iron & steel enterprises are gathering at an emergency meeting to find a solution to the problem, and China has temporarily stopped importing iron ores from India.