NCLAT Upholds CCI Decision on Beach Sand Mineral Export Restrictions

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has upheld a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order rejecting a petition against restrictions on beach sand mineral exports. The Beach Mineral Producers Association had challenged this directive.

The two-member NCLAT bench confirmed the CCI's decision, maintaining the notification that designated State Trading Enterprise and Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL) as the canalising agents for the export of beach sand minerals. This measure, according to the Beach Mineral Producers Association, placed IREL in a dominant position and disrupted fair competition.

The tribunal reasoned that the CCI's judgment was consistent with the legal framework, noting that the export regulations did not prevent business dealings with foreign clientele but merely required channeling through IREL, acknowledging the strategic importance of certain minerals under the Mines and Minerals Act provisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)