New Delhi, Dec. 31 -- The government has imposed a safeguard duty on certain non-alloy and alloy steel flat products to protect the domestic steel industry from a sharp rise in imports, according to an official gazette notification issued by the government on Tuesday.

The notification said the decision follows an investigation by the Director General (Trade Remedies) (DGTR), which found that imports of specific steel products had increased in a "recent, sudden, sharp and significant" manner, causing and threatening serious injury to domestic producers.

It stated, "The Central Government after considering the said findings of the Director General (Trade Remedies), hereby imposes on the subject goods falling under tariff headings 7208, 72...