South Africa: final anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel (up to 57.8%)
The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) concluded its anti-dumping investigation on 18 September 2026 into corrosion-resistant steel coil imported from China, setting final duties ranging from 8.21% to 57.84% depending on the exporter. The measure follows a complaint by South African producers ArcelorMittal South Africa and SAFAL Steel.
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On 18 September 2026, ITAC (South Africa's trade remedies authority) published its final determination in the anti-dumping investigation into corrosion-resistant steel coil originating from China. According to the official statement, the final duties set range from 8.21% to 57.84% depending on the Chinese exporter concerned, in addition to ordinary customs duties. The full technical file appears in ITAC Report No. 778.
The complaint that triggered the investigation came from two South African producers, ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd and SAFAL Steel (Pty) Ltd, who accused Chinese exporters of selling this type of steel below normal value, causing injury to local production. ITAC recommends this type of measure to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, who then publishes it in the Government Gazette: the exact publication and entry-into-force date of the duties could not be independently confirmed at the time of writing and should be checked against the Gazette before placing any order.
The 18 September 2026 determination concerns final duties, which closes the provisional phase of the investigation. Operators with Chinese steel orders currently in production or in transit should promptly check whether their tariff codes and actual manufacturing origin fall within the scope covered by Report No. 778.
All South African importers, distributors and processors of corrosion-coated flat steel coil originating from China are affected, particularly in construction, roofing and home appliances. As South Africa belongs to the SACU customs union, such a measure would generally be expected to apply across the whole union (Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana), but this has not been verified against a separate official source.
What it changes for an importer
For an importer buying this steel in China to resell or process it in South Africa, the customs bill rises directly, in a range that can exceed 50% of the customs value depending on the supplier chosen. Before confirming an order, the Chinese supplier must be precisely identified (the rate differs by exporter named in the ITAC report), and the exact tariff code of the product must be checked. Sorva can help document the actual manufacturing origin with the factory, check whether the specific product ordered falls within the scope of the investigation, and evaluate alternatives (a different coating, a different finished-product category) that would not be covered by the measure.
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