The Egyptian government has officially enacted a temporary safeguard duty on certain steel products, confirming earlier reports of protective measures aimed at shielding the domestic industry. According to Ministerial Decision No. 400 of 2025, the duty will apply to imports of hot-rolled flat steel products in sheets or coils and will remain in force for 200 days, starting September 14, 2025, the day after its publication in the Official Gazette. The duty will be no less than EGP 3673 per ton, regardless of the CIF value.
This move follows a sharp increase in steel imports, which reached USD 260 million in the first half of 2025, driven by lower international prices that have undercut local producers. The Ministry of Industry cited “serious injury” to the domestic sector as justification for the emergency measure.
In a broader effort to stabilize the steel market, the government has also issued Decision No. 398 and Decision No. 399, imposing similar temporary duties on other steel categories:
Semi-finished steel (Billets): 16.2% or minimum EGP 4613/ton
Cold-rolled steel: 11.11% or minimum EGP 4152/ton
Galvanized steel: 12.16% or minimum EGP 4812/ton
Pre-painted steel: 4.94% or minimum EGP 2584/ton
Certain specialty products such as enameled, anti-bacterial coated, and plastisol-coated steel are exempt from these duties.
The Ministry of Industry is holding a consultative meeting today to discuss the broader implications of these safeguard measures, which come at a time of mounting pressure on Egypt’s steel producers. The domestic construction slowdown has exacerbated the situation, with rebar output falling 7% year-on-year to 3.8 million tons, and domestic sales down 3% to 2.965 million tons.
Meanwhile, the European Union’s decision to impose a 15.6% anti-dumping duty on Egyptian hot-rolled steel effective October 2025 adds further complexity to Egypt’s steel trade landscape.
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