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Industries
South Africa has imposed higher import duties on certain steel products, with tariffs now ranging from 10% to 30%. The government move is meant to give the local industry room to recover after months of pressure from weak demand and cheaper imports.
The duties announced in a May 15 government notice apply to products including flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel, as well as bars, rods, tubes and pipes. Before the change, South Africa applied tariffs of zero to 15% on those goods.
The country’s International Trade Administration Commission had recommended emergency action last year to protect the sector. ITAC chief commissioner Ayabonga Cawe said the revised duties should give local producers time to adjust and invest in their capacity.
Tariff rebates for processors using products such as heavy structural steel and flat steel used in electronics have also been adjusted. Cawe said the changes would not affect preferential treatment for certain geographies.
Imports account for about 36% of South Africa’s total steel consumption, and China makes up 73% of those imports, according to the South African Iron and Steel Institute. In March, South Africa also imposed steep duties on structural steel imports from China and Thailand after finding evidence of dumping.
