JOHANNESBURG, May 19 – South Africa has raised import duties on selected steel products to between 10% and 30% as authorities seek to protect the country’s struggling steel industry from surging imports, particularly from China.
The tariff adjustments, announced in a government notice dated May 15, apply to products including flat-rolled iron, non-alloy steel, bars, rods, tubes and pipes.
The new measures replace previous tariffs that ranged from zero to 15% on the affected products.
The move follows mounting pressure from domestic steel producers, including ArcelorMittal South Africa, which has shut some mills amid weakening local demand and intensifying import competition.
South Africa’s International Trade Administration Commission recommended emergency measures last year to support the industry, warning that rising imports threatened domestic production capacity and jobs.
Ayabonga Cawe, chief commissioner of the commission, said the higher duties are intended to provide local manufacturers with space to stabilize operations and invest in upgrading production capabilities.
The commission also adjusted tariff rebate structures for manufacturers using products such as heavy structural steel and flat steel components used in electronics production.
Cawe said the revised tariffs would not affect preferential trade arrangements with selected countries and regions.
Imports currently account for about 36% of South Africa’s total steel consumption, according to the South African Iron and Steel Institute.
China represents roughly 73% of the country’s steel imports, highlighting growing concern among policymakers and industry groups over the dominance of lower-cost Chinese products in the local market.
The latest measures follow additional anti-dumping duties imposed in March on structural steel imports from China and Thailand after authorities found evidence of unfair pricing practices.
South Africa’s steel industry has faced years of pressure from weak economic growth, electricity shortages, logistics bottlenecks and increased competition from imported products.
The government views the sector as strategically important because of its role in manufacturing, mining, construction and industrial employment.
