The government has extended the minimum import price (MIP) on 19 products for two months to protect domestic steel industry from below-cost imports. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, DGFT in a notification said, it will now be applicable till 4th of February next year. The 19 products include semi-finished products of iron or non-alloyed steel, flat-rolled products of different widths, bars and rods. To guard domestic steel producers against in-bound shipments that are sold at below-cost rate, the government in February had imposed MIP, ranging between 341 to 752 US dollar per tonne, on 173 steel products for six months.The government in August decided to extend the minimum import price (MIP) on 66 steel products for a period of two months as against 173 items earlier. This was further extended for two months in October to 4th of this month.Steel makers had requested the government to extend MIP on certain products, saying its imposition has marginally improved the industry's viability after a long period of subdued prices.