Bahrain’s Universal Rolling (Unirol) has urged authorities to shield local steelmakers from dumping, warning that the country’s open trade policy risks turning it into a market for surplus foreign steel.
Operations Director Ali Der said Bahrain’s rebar producers can supply over 500,000 tons annually, enough to meet domestic demand without imports. With building permits up more than 60pct in Q1 2025, construction demand is surging.
Der highlighted regional disparities: Qatar imposes a 20pct rebar duty, Saudi Arabia 15pct on steel imports, and the UAE 10pct on rebar imports with strict quality and certification rules, while Bahrain charges only the GCC-standard 5pct (0pct for GCC-origin goods) and has few safeguards.
He warned that this openness attracts low-priced imports, pushing down prices, reducing mill utilization, and threatening long-term viability. Losing domestic capacity would leave Bahrain fully exposed to global price swings and reliant on foreign suppliers for its major infrastructure plans.
Der called for GCC-origin verification, stricter quality standards, preference for “Made in Bahrain” steel in public projects, and a temporary safeguard duty.
Unirol is one of Bahrain’s leading rebar producers, with an annual capacity of 275,000 tons, manufacturing sizes from 8 mm to 32 mm.
