The Egyptian Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade has launched a safeguard investigation into imports of hot-rolled steel products, according to a notification from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The investigation officially began on April 22, 2025, and the notice of initiation was published in Egypt’s official gazette on April 27, 2025.
The move follows a formally documented safeguard application submitted by the domestic steel industry. The application alleges that a sharp increase in imports of hot-rolled steel products has caused serious injury to local producers of similar goods.
According to the WTO notification, initial data shows that imports have risen suddenly and significantly, leading to a marked decline in domestic sales, a substantial loss of market share, increased inventory levels, a slight dip in employment, and a steep fall in profits for Egyptian producers. These findings were deemed sufficient to warrant the initiation of a formal investigation to assess whether the import surge has caused serious harm to the local industry.
The products under investigation fall under the HS codes: 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53, 7208.54, 7208.90, 7211.14, 7211.19, 7225.30, 7225.40, 7226.91, and 7226.99.