Pakistan’s National Tariff Commission (NTC) has recommended cutting import duties on steelmaking raw materials, including scrap, to zero, aiming to secure uninterrupted supply and reduce production costs, according to a local news report.
It also suggested exempting HRC not produced locally from duties to support downstream industries.
For finished steel products, the NTC proposed tariffs of 11-20pct, with additional customs duties of 2-6pct and regulatory duties of 10-30pct. Over the next three years, it recommends removing additional duties and capping regulatory duties at 10pct.
In its report to the Economic Coordination Committee, the commission warned that high protection for billets and rebars, combined with elevated energy and financing costs, has pushed up steel prices, affecting construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects. Flat steel products, despite adequate capacity, remain underutilized.
Pakistan’s long steel capacity rose from 7 mln tons in FY23 to 8 mln in FY25, yet production has been volatile, falling to 3.5 mln tons in FY24 before rebounding to 5.4 mln tons in FY25.
