New Delhi Steel majors have accused country's biggest iron ore producer NMDC of charging higher prices for ore while exporting at a lower rate and said the “anomaly in pricing mechanism” of the state-run company would lead to higher steel imports.

Steel producers said ore prices have come down globally to USD 133 at present from USD 177 a tonne in June last year but NMDC is hiking domestic prices due to anomaly in its pricing mechanism, a charge denied by the state-run company.