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Engineering News reports that trade union Solidarity indicated on Thursday that South African exporters of steel and aluminium products were under severe pressure after the United States (US) recently granted Canada and Mexico exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs.
The US in May lifted the 25% tariff on steel and the 10% tariff on aluminium for Canada and Mexico. Solidarity deputy general secretary Marius Croucamp said this exemption has resulted in cheaper prices for Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminium, compared with the South African price for steel. “South African manufacturers and steel exporters, including Duferco, Cisco, Columbus Stainless, South32 and ArcelorMittal South Africa, find themselves in a dire situation, with exports to the US rapidly drying up. Factories have started retrenching employees and it is possible that factories may close down,” Croucamp said. He pointed out that the struggling South African steel industry was already burdened by higher electricity tariffs and the implementation of a carbon tax. Solidarity earlier this month requested Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel to set up a meeting with major role-players in the SA steel industry to discuss these issues.
- Read the original of the above report at Engineering News
- See too, VSA se staal- en aluminiumtariewe begin SA vervaardigers byt, at Maroela Media
- Read Solidarity’s press statement on this issue at Politicsweb
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page