DTI's absence on steel price committee questioned
Parliament is still waiting for a response from Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies on why no one from his department is being represented on the recently established steel price committee.
At the end of June, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel announced the members of the committee, which is tasked with investigating what effects import tariffs have on the steel industry.
Members include Johan Nel, of the South African Iron and Steel Institute, Paolo Trinchero of the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction, Tafadzwa Chibanguza of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation, and National Employers’ Association CEO Gerhard Papenfus. The CFO of ArcelorMittal South Africa Dean Subramanian was also appointed.
But questions have been raised about the constitution and membership of the committee. Most of the steel industry is regulated by the department of trade and industry (dti), yet the department has no representation on the committee.
Joan Fubbs, chairperson of parliament’s trade and industry committee said on Tuesday that she was still waiting for a response as to why the department of trade and industry is not represented. “We were led to believe that the dti would serve on the (steel) committee,” she added.
The establishment of such a committee to look into the effect primary steel tariffs have on downstream users, was initially flagged by Davies. In August last year, he approved a 10% ad valorem duty on certain imported steel products, which was entering South Africa free of duty.
The duty agreement hinged on an agreement on a pricing model including ArcelorMittal and downstream steel users that would ensure the viability of the steel sector.
The operations of the steel committee falls under the auspices of the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac), which oversees tariffs and import and export controls, which in turn resorts under Patel. But although Itac falls within the department of economic development, most of the steel industry are regulated by trade and industry.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation