Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade has imposed a definitive safeguard duty on billet imports to protect the domestic steel industry.
According to the Trade Remedies Sector (TRS), the duty will be set at 13pct with a minimum of USD 70 per ton from April to September 2026. The rate will gradually decline to 12pct (minimum USD 64 per ton) from September 2026 to September 2027, and further to 11pct (minimum USD 59 per ton) from September 2027 to September 2028.
The move follows the imposition of a provisional duty of 16.2pct in September 2025.
TRS said billet imports surged sharply in recent years, rising by 643pct in 2022, declining by 14pct in 2023, and increasing again by 227pct in 2024. Cumulative imports grew by nearly 2,000pct over the 2021-2024 period, with a similar trend observed relative to domestic production.
The increase was attributed to global oversupply, weak demand in key markets and the expansion of trade restrictions in major importing countries, which redirected excess volumes to more open markets such as Egypt.
TRS concluded that the surge in imports in 2024 caused serious injury to local producers, warning that delays in implementing measures could have led to further damage.
