Tata Steel buys coal from Russia

Tata Steel, India's largest steelmaker, imported about 75,000 tonnes of coal from Russia in the second half of May, according to two trade sources and one government source, just weeks after vowing to stop doing business with Russia.

Tata Steel stated in April that all of its manufacturing sites in India, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands had sourced alternative raw material supplies to end its reliance on Russia, and that it had made a "conscious decision to stop doing business with Russia."

Nonetheless, Tata Steel shipped about 75,000 tonnes of PCI coal, used in steelmaking, from Russia's Vanino port in May, with 42,000 tonnes offloaded in Paradip on May 18 and 32,500 tonnes in Haldia, according to two trade sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

A Tata Steel spokesman stated that the agreement to import coal from Russia was made prior to the company's announcement to cut business ties with Russia, but provided no further details.

"There has been no other PCI Coal purchase by Tata Steel from Russia after the announcement," the spokesman said in an emailed statement to Reuters.