On 12 July 2024, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) extended an invitation to attend a public hearing on Investigation for Remedial Action in the form of a safeguard measure against the increased imports of certain flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel or other alloy steel (not including stainless steel), whether or not in coils (including products cut-to-length and ‘narrow strip’), not further worked than hot-rolled (hot-rolled flat), not clad, plated or coated, excluding grain-oriented silicon electrical steel (hot-rolled steel products).
On 23 February 2024, ITAC initiated an investigation for remedial action in the form of a safeguard measure against the increased imports of hot-rolled steel products (subject product) through a Government Gazette dated 23 February 2024 (Initiation Notice).
The application was lodged by the South African Iron & Steel Institute (SAISI), an industry association which applied on behalf of ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited (AMSA), being the major producer of the subject product in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
The subject product is described as certain flat rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel, or other alloy steel (not including stainless steel), whether or not in coils (including products cut-to-length and “narrow strip”), not further worked than hot-rolled (hot rolled flat), not clad, plated or coated, excluding grain-oriented silicon electrical steel. The subject product is imported under the following tariff subheadings: 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26,7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53, 7208.54,7208.90, 7211.14, 7225.30, 7225.40, 7225.99, 7226.99.
SAISI stated that an analysis of the import statistics and the tariff subheadings used to import the subject product indicated that importers were also using the tariff subheadings 7211.13, 7211.19, and 7226.91 as loopholes to import hot-rolled products into the SACU. SAISI requested ITAC to include these tariff subheadings when imposing the safeguard measures.
ITAC considered that there could be circumvention when the safeguard measures are imposed on the subject product. ITAC also made a preliminary determination to impose provisional measures on hot-rolled steel products classifiable under tariff subheadings 7211.13, 7211.19, and 7226.91.
Interested parties are invited to submit comments on whether it will be in the public interest to impose definitive safeguard measures on the subject product.
A public hearing is scheduled for 20 August 2024 at 10:00. All interested parties who wish to attend the public hearing on public interest and wish to make oral representations to ITAC on public interest should indicate their intention to attend on or before 26 July 2024 at 15:00.
All interested parties who wish to address ITAC on public interest should submit a detailed version, including a non-confidential version, of the information to be discussed at the public hearing in writing on or before 02 August 2024 at 15:00. A party that did not timeously submit a non-confidential version of the information to be discussed at the public hearing will not be allowed to take part in the public hearing.
Parties requesting to attend a public interest hearing should note that this will be an open hearing with all parties present, and only non-confidential information should be presented during the hearing.