Ludhiana, Sept. 23 -- tarsem.deogan@htlive.com

Punjab's manufacturing MSMEs are facing acute shortage of raw materials as flat steel prices have surged by around Rs.10 per kg in just 20 days, compounded by procurement bottlenecks that threaten further price escalation.

Amid this mounting pressure, the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) has urged the Centre to temporarily waive or substantially relax the safeguard duty on hot-rolled (HR) and cold-rolled (CR) coils, while calling for an immediate review of prevailing steel prices and supply conditions.

The safeguard duty was introduced in April 2025, when the government imposed a 12% duty for 200 days on specified flat steel imports. The measure was subsequently con...