The decision was taken in line with the recommendation of the Trade Remedies Sector Committee of Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. The committee had proposed the imposition of a 13% duty on the CIF value and the regulation of imports under this framework for a period of three years.
With a decree dated March 31, 2026, the Ministry approved the implementation of the duties as of April 2. In the initial phase, a 13% duty will be applied with a minimum of $70 per ton. As of September 14, the rate will decrease to 12% with a minimum of $64 per ton, while in the following year the duty will be reduced to 11% with a minimum of $59 per ton.
Separate rates have also been set for galvanized steel (HDG/GI) and pre-painted steel (PPGI). For galvanized steel, the duty will start at 14% of the CIF value with a minimum of £4,647 per ton, followed by 13.5% and 13% in the subsequent two years, with minimums of £4,020 and £3,819 per ton, respectively. For pre-painted steel, the duty will begin at 14.5% of the CIF value with a minimum of £5,134 per ton, and will be adjusted to 14% and 13.5% in the following years, with minimums of £4,877 and £4,633 per ton. Certain products will be exempt from the duty as they are not produced domestically in Egypt.
The decision follows complaints from integrated steel producers such as Ezz Steel, Suez Steel, and Egyptian Steel, which together account for approximately 80% of local production, regarding the negative impact of the continuous rise in billet imports. Imports increased from 127,700 tons in 2021 to 1.67 million tons in 2024, marking a surge of over 1,000%. The companies stated that billets account for approximately 85% of their production costs and that they produce at a cost roughly $100 per ton higher than imported billets.
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