NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Cheap imports of copper under multiple free trade agreements are “severely damaging” Indian manufacturing, industry body IPCPA said and sought immediate government interventions in the form of a safeguard duty and quantitative restrictions on inbound shipments from overseas. According to the Indian Primary Copper Producers Association (IPCPA), a surge in zero-duty copper imports is eroding the country’s domestic smelting and downstream manufacturing sector, even as over Rs 20,000 crore has been invested in recent years to achieve self-sufficiency. “Zero-duty imports from FTA partners are severely damaging Indian smelting and refining,” the ICPA said, and demanded that a 3 per cent safeguard duty should be imposed on copper imports of certain categories, irrespecti

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