On 30 January 2026, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) made its preliminary decision not to impose a provisional safeguard duty on imports of corrosion-resistant steel coil.
The investigation was initiated on 25 July 2025 following an application from ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), which is a major producer of the subject product within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and was supported by SAFAL Steel.
These steel coils are widely used across key downstream industries, including construction, roofing and cladding, appliance manufacturing, and automotive and engineering.
Following a thorough review of the comments from interested parties and AMSA, among other reasons, ITAC found that the surge in imports was the result of unforeseen developments and is recent, sudden, sharp and significant; and that the SACU industry is experiencing serious injury owing to this surge.
ITAC considered that AMSA was experiencing serious injury, including declines in net profit and market share, price suppression and price depression, and negative cash flow.
However, other injury indicators, such as sales, output, capacity use, and employment, show growth and operational stability; therefore, ITAC made a preliminary determination that no critical circumstances warrant immediate action to prevent damage that would be difficult to repair.
An invitation was extended to interested parties to submit comments on ITAC’s decision by 13 February 2026.