Egyptian steel exporters have denied any intention to flood the Moroccan market with cold-rolled steel products amid the Moroccan Ministry of Trade and Industry’s anti-dumping investigation into these imports.

This followed a complaint initiated by Moroccan Steel Company, which cited declining national production indicators, market share, and profitability in the domestic industry caused by Egyptian imports.

“Morocco has notified the Export Council of its plan to impose anti-dumping duties on Egyptian steel sheets,” said Walid Gamal Eddine, Chairman of the Export Council for Building Materials, Refractories, and Metal Industries, according to Egyptian media.

He stated that “the council is collaborating with the Ministry of Investment and exporting companies to demonstrate that the competition is fair and free from illegal conditions.”

Eddine told Egyptian news website Alborsa that “the council is preparing a report on production costs, shipping prices, and customs duties for products arriving in Morocco,” warning of “demanding tariffs on Moroccan car exports to Egypt if duties are imposed on Egyptian steel exports.”

For his part, Aymane el Ashry, Chairman of the el Ashry Steel Group, said that “the drop in demand in the local market has prompted a search for new export markets,” emphasizing that “Morocco is a promising market for Egyptian exports in this sector.”

Hassan el Marakeby, Chairman of el Marakeby Steel, noted that “Egyptian steel exports are now competitive in neighboring and African markets due to lower manufacturing and shipping costs.” He added that “tensions in the Red Sea have increased shipping expenses for competitors like China, prompting Moroccan companies to prefer cheaper imports from Egypt.”

Mohamed Hanafy, Executive Director of the Metal Industries Chamber, said “the chamber will collaborate with the Anti-Dumping and Support Authority to provide pricing information and coordinate with companies affected by potential Moroccan decisions, as firms seek new export markets to maintain sales amid declining external demand.”

In this regard, economic expert Yassine Aalia confirmed to Hespress AR that “the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s investigation into the dumping of imported steel sheets from Egypt in Morocco, as well as the potential for anti-dumping duties on these products, is a common practice worldwide designed to protect the national steel industry, which is strategic for Morocco.”

The expert stated that “flooding markets with imports is an unfair trade practice, especially for countries with trade agreements,” adding that “Egypt’s situation mirrors past cases where Morocco imposed anti-dumping duties, potentially leading to a review of trade agreements with the countries of origin.”

He stressed that “initiating an investigation is a legitimate step for Morocco to protect competitiveness and the national industry in a strategic sector while regulating import flows based on actual domestic needs,” noting that “Morocco has the right to impose anti-dumping duties on imports from any country, similar to Egypt’s actions against Turkish and Chinese products.”

For context, the announcement regarding the anti-dumping investigation into cold-rolled steel sheet imports from Egypt, based on a complaint from the Moroccan Steel Company, revealed that Egyptian imports surged by 343% since entering the Moroccan market in 2022, with a volume of 6,049 tons recorded in May 2024, and are expected to reach record levels this year.

Source: Hespress