NEW DELHI, July 23 (Reuters) - The Indian steel industry

is in talks with the federal government for trade measures to

combat rising imports particularly from China and Vietnam, JSW

Steel Chief Executive Jayant Acharya told Reuters on Tuesday.

India turned net steel importer in the fiscal year that

ended in March and the trend continues with its finished steel

imports scaling a five-year high in April and May, according to

provisional government data.

"Indian steel industry is in discussion with the government.

I think there are measures which we would be requesting the

government to take up," Acharya said, without elaborating on the

possible measures being discussed.

India's steel and trade ministries have been in talks over

rising imports, Reuters had reported last month.

EXPORTS, COKING COAL

This year, JSW Steel expects its exports to be 10-15% of

total sales, Acharya said, adding that international markets

were "muted" as of now, while demand in India was "extremely

strong".

Separately, Acharya denied the company was in talks with

Australian miner Whitehaven Coal for a stake in its Blackwater

metallurgical coal mine.

Whitehaven in January said it was exploring a potential

sell-down of about 20% of Blackwater to global steel producers

as strategic joint venture partners.

However, JSW Steel continues to look for coking coal assets

overseas, including Australia, and Canada, Acharya said.

Acharya also said the company was open to importing coking

coal from Mongolia but as of now there was "nothing on the

radar".

He also opposed a proposal from the trade remedies body

against capping imports of low ash metallurgical coke, a

steelmaking fuel.

"Putting any kind of duties on materials which we don't

internally have, doesn't make strategic sense," Acharya said.

Last month, Reuters reported that India's steel ministry

also did not favour limits on imports of met coke, citing risks

to domestic output.