India's coking coal port imports surged 11% during April-December 2024-25 to approximately 42.5 million metric tons compared to 38.3 million metric tons in the previous year's corresponding period. This increase directly supported steel production expansion reaching approximately 105 million metric tons during the nine months. Australia supplied 55-58% of imports at 23-25 million metric tons, maintaining its dominant position, while the United States provided 14-16% at 6-7 million metric tons. Domestic production constraints, limited to 8-10 million metric tons due to geological challenges & quality issues, perpetuate 75-80% import dependency creating annual foreign exchange outlays of $10-13 billion.