The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) has initiated a safeguard investigation into the increased imports of other screws fully threaded with hexagon heads made of steel, classifiable under tariff subheading 7318.15.39, on which comment is due by 20 June.
The application seems to have been lodged by the South African Iron and Steel Institute (SAISI) and the South African Fasteners Manufacturers’ Association (SAFMA) on behalf of its members CBC Fasteners (Pty) Ltd (CBC) and Transvaal Pressed Nuts Bolts and Rivets (Pty) Ltd (TPN). According to the notice SAISI is a non-governmental representative organisation serving the collective interests of the primary steel industry in South Africa, whilst TPN and CBC are the largest producers of hexagon screws.
The applicants were able to: (i) Cite events that can be regarded as unforeseen developments and that these unforeseen developments and the effect of the obligations incurred under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) led to the increased volume of imports in absolute and relative terms; (ii) Identify a surge in volume of imports that is recent, sharp, significant and sudden enough; (iv) indicate that the SACU industry is experiencing serious injury; and (v) that this is causally linked to the surge in imports.
The period of investigation to determine the recent, sudden, sharp and significant increase in imports and for the evaluation of data for purposes of the determination of serious injury is 01 July 2014 to 30 June 2017. The injury analysis relates to information submitted by CBC and TPN the largest producers of the subject product in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), representing a major proportion of the SACU industry.
