ITAC made a preliminary decision not to impose a provisional safeguard duty on imports of corrosion resistant steel coil, following a preliminary determination in an ongoing investigation into the surge of imports.

The investigation was gazetted on 25 July 2025, in response to an application from ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited (AMSA), which is a major producer of the subject product within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). The application is supported by SAFAL Steel (Pty) Ltd, the other SACU-based producer.

These steel coils are widely used in key downstream industries such as construction, roofing and cladding, appliance manufacturing, and the automotive and engineering sectors. Their quality and corrosion-resistant properties make them a critical input for structural and fabricated steel applications.

Following a thorough review of the comments from interested parties and the Applicant, among other reasons, the Commission found that:

• The surge in imports is the result of unforeseen developments and is recent, sudden, sharp, and significant.
• The SACU industry is experiencing serious injury due to this surge.

The Commission, however, considered that although the Applicant is experiencing serious injury in the form of a decline in net profit, market share, price suppression, price depression and negative cash flow, other injury indicators  such as sales, output, capacity utilization, employment show growth and operational stability as such the Commission made a preliminary determination that there are no critical circumstances that exist that warrant immediate action to prevent damage, which would be difficult to repair.

Safeguard measures are trade remedies permitted under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements and South Africa’s domestic legislation. They are designed to provide temporary relief to a domestic industry facing a sudden and damaging surge in imports, giving it time to adjust to the increased competition.

Interested parties are invited to submit their comments by 15:00 on 13 February 2026.

Full details of the preliminary findings and recommendations are on Report 763 and Notice 3750.

 ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH AFRICA

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