South Africa Launches Safeguard Investigation on Certain Cold-Rolled Iron and Steel Products

On 14 July 2026, South Africa notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards regarding the initiation on 10 July 2026 of a safeguard investigation on certain cold-rolled products of iron and steel imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

· Notification to WTO: South Africa informed the WTO Committee on Safeguards on 14 July 2026 that it had initiated a safeguard investigation on 10 July 2026.

· Product Covered: The investigation concerns certain cold-rolled products of iron and steel imported into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

· Purpose of Investigation: To determine whether increased imports are causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury to the domestic industry.

· Participation by Interested Parties: Importers, exporters, producers, and other stakeholders must register and submit comments within 20 days of the initiation of the investigation.

· Submission Process: Written submissions and hearing requests must be sent to Directorate: Trade Remedies II, ITAC, Pretoria within the 20-day period.

· Confidential Information Rules: Parties submitting confidential information must provide detailed public summaries or explain why a summary cannot be provided; otherwise, ITAC may disregard the confidential information.

· WTO Reference: The notification is circulated as G/SG/N/6/ZAF/14.

· What is a Safeguard Investigation? A safeguard investigation examines whether a surge in imports is harming a domestic industry and may lead to temporary import restrictions if serious injury is established.

· Possible Outcome: If the investigation finds serious injury or threat thereof, South Africa may impose temporary safeguard measures to restrict imports of the affected steel products.

[ABS News Service/16.07.2026]

In the notification South Africa indicated, among other things, as follows:

" Interested parties must make themselves known and provide comments within a period of 20 days after the initiation of the investigation.

Any information which the interested parties may wish to submit in writing and any request for a hearing before the Commission that they may wish to put forward should be submitted within 20 days following the initiation of this investigation to the Directorate: Trade Remedies II, at the following address: The DTI Campus, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside Pretoria, Block Uuzaji, Ground Floor, tel.: +27 12 394 3688, or directly to the investigating officers, Mr. Siphumelele E. Mkwanazi at email address: emkwanazi@itac.org.za or Mr. Neo Motshoane at email address: nmotshoane@itac.org.za.

If part of the information provided is of a confidential nature, the party concerned should give grounds to justify confidentiality and furnish public summaries of such information, which should be as detailed as possible. In instances where a public summary cannot be provided a sworn statement must be provided stating the reasons why the information cannot be summarized. This requirement is designed to secure transparency and due access by all the parties to the information relating to this investigation. If the summaries are not duly provided and in the absence of just cause, ITAC may disregard the information deemed to be confidential."

The notification is available in G/SG/N/6/ZAF/14.

What is a safeguard investigation?

A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or are threatening to cause, serious injury to a domestic industry.

During a safeguard investigation, importers, exporters and other interested parties may present evidence and views and respond to the presentations of other parties.

A WTO member may take a safeguard action (i.e. restrict imports of a product temporarily) only if the increased imports of the product are found to be causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury.