Recent Announcements by South Africa High Anti-Dumping Tariffs on Structural Steel Imports from China and Thailand
South Africa recently declared imposing high anti-dumping tariffs on structural steel imports from China and Thailand. Starting from Thursday, March 19, steel imported from China will be subjected to a tariff of 74.98%, while structural steel from Thailand will face a tariff of 20.32%.
South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Parks Tau, stated that to safeguard the struggling local industries, the South African International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) has approved the recommendation to impose a final anti-dumping tariff on structural steel imports from China and Thailand for a duration of five years. Effective from Thursday, March 19, steel imports from China will bear a tariff of 74.98%, and those from Thailand will incur a tariff of 20.32%.
During the 2023/24 fiscal year, the total imported volume of structural steel from China and Thailand surged by 19 times, intensifying the pressure on the ArcelorMittal South Africa company (AMSA), especially its rail and structural division Amras, which is the sole major rail producer in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
ITAC’s investigation revealed that in the 2023/24 fiscal year, 28,800 tons of structural steel flooded into the South African market, with 65% originating from China. Due to prices being 20% lower compared to local industry prices, the dumping of structural steel from China and Thailand has led to losses for the Amras company without the ability to raise prices.
Amsa announced in 2025 its plan to shut down factories in Newcastle, Vereeniging, and Mpumalanga, potentially resulting in the loss of 3,500 jobs. Currently, the company is still in negotiations with the government and Industrial Development Corporation to salvage its long steel business.
Furthermore, ITAC imposed tariffs for five years on certain aluminum-zinc coated flat rolled products from China (rates from 6.99% to 47.92%), Japan (44.95%), and Taiwan (23.3%).
The latest trade data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates that from January to September last year, South Africa imported goods worth 304 billion South African Rand (approximately 17.5 billion US dollars) from China, while its exports amounted to only 164 billion South African Rand (around 9.58 billion US dollars), resulting in a trade deficit of a staggering 140 billion South African Rand (approximately 8.17 billion US dollars) with China.