Egypt has launched a safeguard investigation into imports of semi-finished products, wire rod and bar used for construction purposes under HS code headings 7207, 7213 and 7214, Kallanish learns from a WTO document.

“The investigation was initiated after examination of a properly documented safeguards application filed by the Egyptian industry, in which it alleged that increased imports of the subject products caused serious injury to the domestic industry producing similar products,” the Egyptian WTO delegation notice says.

The data available show there has been a significant increase in imports which has caused declining sales and market share, as well as large inventory increases and losses for the domestic industry. The probe will determine whether the increase in imports has caused serious injury to the domestic industry.

Interested parties must make themselves known to the investigating authority, the trade remedies sector of Egypt’s trade and industry ministry, before end-April.

Last month Egypt's trade and industry ministry issued a directive permitting only entities with a manufacturing licence to import billet (see Kallanish passim). However, the move is not expected to change much, as mills will have to continue to rely on traders' capital to import billet.

Egypt used to import significant tonnages of billet from the CIS. In recent years the country has invested heavily into new crude steelmaking capacity in a bid to become self-sufficient in billet supply. However, domestic mills find it difficult to compete on cost with imports.

In late 2017 Egypt imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on imports of rebar and wire rod from China, Turkey and Ukraine. This has been effective in reducing imports from these origins.