<h1>Commerce minister urges industry to stop importing cheap inputs, boost local suppliers to strengthen self-reliance and resilience</h1> A commerce minister urged domestic industry to avoid importing cheaper inputs and to support local suppliers, linking this to national self-reliance and supply-chain resilience after export restrictions on critical inputs disrupted manufacturing. He noted use of safeguard duties, licensing and quotas to protect inputs (citing metallurgical coke) and flagged negotiations over FTAs and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as drivers of policy change. The government is promoting 'melt and pour' rules in FTAs, exploring licensing constraints and sectoral measures to reduce import dependence, attract ship-flagging and lower raw-material costs.