The steel ministry, in a departure from its stand on iron ore exports, has agreed to begin talks with Japan and South Korea on resuming exports from NMDC’s mines. The steel ministry was under pressure from the commerce ministry to depute a delegation to the two countries and commence talks.
Even as the Union Cabinet had decided to allow NMDC to export ore to Japan and South Korea until 2014, the steel ministry had expressed a view that the exports should not be allowed as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Income Tax Department had raised objections.