Australia has initiated a safeguard investigation into imports of fabricated structural steel (FSS), as notified by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
New Zealand and Singapore are excluded from the scope of the investigation and from any potential safeguards under Australia's existing free trade agreements.
A final report will be submitted to the Australian Treasurer within 10 months of the date of initiation, and an interim report including an assessment possible critical circumstances, will be released within eight months.
Import Trends
The investigation has been launched following a submission from the Australian domestic industry. Evidence provided by the petitioners indicates that total imports of eligible FSS products increased by 38.7 percent to 539,649 tonnes between 2020 and 2024. Available evidence suggests that this increase in imports is the result of unforeseen events, including trade protection measures taken by third parties and an environment of global overcapacity in the steel industry.
The Applicants evidence that these sustained import volumes and price pressures are causing, or threaten to cause, a significant overall deterioration in the position of Australia's domestic industry. In particular, Australian FSS production fell as a share of supply from 2021 to 2023, falling 12 percent from 744,000 tonnes in 2023 to 659,000 tonnes in 2024.
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