Morocco's Ministry of Industry, Trade and New Technologies has announced that it initiated a safeguard investigation on imports of cold rolled sheets and plated or coated sheet on June 11, upon the application made by domestic steel producer Maghreb Steel.
According to application filed by Maghreb Steel, the volume of imports of cold rolled sheet grew by about 100 percent in 2012 compared to 2011 and by 89 percent in 2013 compared to 2012. Imports of coated sheet increased by 77 percent in 2012 compared to 2011. During the first two months of the current year, cold rolled sheet and coated sheet imports amounted to 28,146 mt, representing 62 percent growth compared to the corresponding period of 2013. Maghreb Steel suggested that the significant increase in imports was due to export flow from European countries to Morocco, since European steel consumption declined and the effects of the economic crisis persist in the EU.
Sources told SteelOrbis that the general opinion in the market is that hot rolled sheet imports which are under surveillance by the Moroccan government are entering the country in the guise of cold rolled sheet products.
The products subject to safeguard investigation currently fall under the Customs Tariff Statistics Position Numbers 7209, 7211 (excluding 7211.13, 7211.14 and 7211.19), 7225, 7226, 7210, (excluding 7210.11, 7210.12, 7210.90.21.00, 7210.90.22.00, 7210.90.23.00, 7212 (excluding 7 212.10), 7225 and 7226.
Morocco-based Maghreb Steel is capable of producing 1.2 million mt of crude steel and 500,000 mt of hot rolled flat steel per year. The company's flat steel products portfolio includes hot rolled and cold rolled sheet, galvanized sheet and color coated sheet, as well as quarto plate.