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 Long Steel New Delhi, June 13 In its continuing inflation-busting efforts, theCentre has raised the export duty on long steel products used inconstruction and infrastructure projects from 10 to 15 per cent,alongside clamping a flat 15 per cent ad valorem duty on all ironore shipments. Till now, iron ore exports attracted specific duties. These rangedbetween Rs 50 per tonne on fines having iron content up to 62 percent and Rs 300 per tonne on lumps and fines with ferrous contentabove 62 per cent. “In order to further strengthen a policy regime that enablesconservation of good quality ore and ensures its availability todomestic industry at a reasonable price, the effective rate of dutyon iron ore has been enhanced to a uniform rate of 15 per cent advalorem, irrespective of iron content,” according to aFinance Ministry release issued here on Friday. Given that the country has been exporting iron ore to China atabout $140 per tonne free-on-board (Rs 6,000 a tonne), a flat 15per cent duty would straightaway triple the effective dutyincidence to Rs 900 or so. Simultaneously, the export duty on long products of steel (bars androds, angles, shapes and sections, and wire) has been hiked from 10to 15 per cent “to improve their availability in the domesticmarket”. However, exports of flat rolled products (includinggalvanised products, pipes and tubes) – used in manufactureof cars and white goods – have been “fullyexempted” from duty. Currently, they range from five to 15per cent. Domestic car makes have been dealt a further blow. Cars with enginecapacity of 1,500 to 1,999 cc will now be charged to a specificduty of Rs 15,000 per cent over and above the existing 24 per centad valorem rate. The additional levy would be Rs 20,000 on carswith capacity of 2,000 cc and above.