Itac on 20 October published a proposal for the creation of a temporary rebate provision on safeguard duty for the importation of certain hot rolled steel classifiable under tariff headings 72.08 and 72.25. [The provisions cover nearly two pages, which are available on request.]
The application was lodged by SSAB South Africa (Pty) Ltd who reasoned that (i) The subject products are currently not manufactured in the
Sacu region; (ii) The safeguard duty has resulted in increased production cost for various downstream steel products; and (iii) The safeguard duty will result in the reduction of the competitive position of Sacu manufactured downstream steel products in the export market.
Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled, of a thickness of 2 mm or more but not exceeding 160 mm, with a yield strength of 550 MPa or more but not exceeding 960 MPa and having an impact strength of 27 Joules or more but not exceeding 69 Joules at -20°C or less but not less than -60°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7225.40, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled, of a thickness of 2 mm or more but not exceeding 160 mm, with a Brinell hardness of 400 HBW or more but not exceeding 700 HBW and having an impact strength of 15 Joules or more but not exceeding 95 Joules at -40°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7208.5, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the SACU market;
Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled, of a thickness of 2 mm or more but not exceeding 160 mm, with a Brinell hardness of 400 HBW or more but not exceeding 700 HBW and having an impact strength of 15 Joules or more but not exceeding 95 Joules at -40°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7225.40, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled and of a thickness of 40 mm or more but not exceeding 160 mm, with a Brinell hardness of 350 HBW and having an impact strength of 95 Joules at -40°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7208.5, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled and of a thickness of 40 mm or more but not exceeding 160 mm, with a Brinell hardness of 350 HBW and having an impact strength of 95 Joules at -40°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7225.40, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled and of a thickness of 5 mm or more but not exceeding 50 mm, with a Brinell hardness of 350 HBW and having an impact strength of 60 Joules at -40°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7208.5, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not in coils, not further worked than hot-rolled and of a thickness of 5 mm or more but not exceeding 50 mm, with a Brinell hardness of 350 HBW and having an impact strength of 60 Joules at -40°C, classifiable in tariff subheading 7225.40, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not further worked than hot-rolled, not in coils, with a thickness of 2 mm or more but not exceeding 100 mm, with a nickel content of 1.8 per cent by mass or more but not exceeding 3 per cent, a molybdenum content of 0.7 per cent by mass or more but not exceeding 0.8 per cent and a chrome content of 1.0 per cent by mass or more but not exceeding 2.0 per cent, with a Brinell hardness of 260 HBW or more but not exceeding 640 HBW, classifiable in tariff subheading 7225.40, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market;
Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, not further worked than hot-rolled, not in coils, with a thickness of 2 mm or more but not exceeding 20 mm, with a copper content of 0.25 per cent by mass or more but not exceeding 0.40 per cent and a chromium content of 1.0 per cent by mass or more but not exceeding 2.0 per cent, with a yield strength of 550 MPa or more but not exceeding 960 MPa, classifiable in tariff subheading 7225.40, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit, provided the products are not available in the Sacu market.
The application was lodged by SSAB South Africa (Pty) Ltd who reasoned that (i) The subject products are currently not manufactured in the SACU region; (ii) The safeguard duty has resulted in increased production cost for various downstream steel products; and (iii) The safeguard duty will result in the reduction of the competitive position of domestically manufactured downstream steel products in the export market.
Comment is due by 03 November.