The UAE's Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology has announced that, as of November 27, 2024, billets that are used for producing rebar to be sold in the UAE must be certified by a certification authority such as CARES. The billets should carry an Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) mark under the Emirates Quality Mark (EQM) scheme. Accordingly, if the billets used in rebar production are found to be uncertified, the ministry will halt the sale of the rebar produced.
According to UAE market participants, the purpose of this legislation is to prevent imports from sanctioned countries, which are expected to be phased out over time. Furthermore, as all imports could possibly be done from ECAS certified mills with the new regulation, billet imports are expected to be reduced.
"This is a standard regulation. It is intended to ensure smaller firms buying from outside remain in the domestic market," a trader told SteelOrbis.