The Algerian government has revoked import licenses for some products, including steel rebar, as SteelOrbis has indicated in its Italian rebar market report. Yesterday, January 14, there was an important update from Algerian authorities, with the announcement of a limit of 2 million metric tons on rebar imports into Algeria for the whole of 2016. Foreign companies seeking to export rebar to Algeria will have to make an official application not later than February 3 this year.
The Algerian market is of strategic importance for European producers, especially as it is protected from Turkish competition by an import duty on rebar from Turkey.
Since 2014 Algeria has imported over 4 million metric tons of long steel products from Spain, Italy and Portugal. In 2015, Italian long steel producers sold over 700,000 metric tons to the Algerian market.