ASI fights for a fair go
With our local steel industry currently in severe financial distress due to a surge in very low-priced imported fabricated steelwork, it is vital the oversight of all trade measures in Australia is in line with other comparable countries.
It was pleasing, then, to hear on August 28 that responsibility for Safeguard actions – which protect Australian industry from sudden surges in imports by applying temporary restrictions (such as tariffs or quotas) on imported products – will move from the Federal Government’s Productivity Commission to the Anti-Dumping Commission.
The move will bring Australian protections and systems in line with trading partners who have successfully mounted Safeguard actions.
This is particularly important with the ASI in the final stages of mounting its own Safeguard action to protect Australian fabricators from cheap imports.
Some will argue that use of imported steel in the Australian market has been a fact of life for many years. But the extreme nature of the recent surge makes it different and deserving a Safeguard action.
Price undercutting of between 15% and 50% is being witnessed, with importers targeting projects as small as 150 tonnes. There is also widespread evidence that local fabricators are often not invited to quote on projects unless they can offer an ‘import price’ option.
The ASI has been very vocal in pursuing numerous initiatives to resolve the problem, aimed primarily at governments to bring this issue to light and help protect local industry.
Our initial initiatives centred around:
- Working closely with state and federal governments on various local content and “buy Australian” strategies and policies
- Advocating for greater compliance with Australian Standards and quality assurance.
- Certification to ensure competitive tenders for fabricated steelwork are assessed on a like-for-like quality basis—offering clear quality benchmarks across fabrication practices.
- Seeking support for international trade measures, including anti-dumping and countervailing (anti-subsidy).
Whilst a lot of effort is being put into these initiatives, their impact so far has been limited.
Consequently, after extensive consultation with members the ASI has determined that a Safeguard action is the preferred option. A team of expert international consultants is advising us on the drafting of the application.
In the meantime, the ASI is continuing to advocate to governments for other trade measures.
The ASI, via its membership of the International Trade Remedies Forum (ITRF), has taken the opportunity to call for greater protection for the local industry at two workshops being run by the Anti-Dumping Commission.
At the Improving Access to the Anti-Dumping System for SMEs workshop, the ASI called for more timely findings and faster outcomes from trade actions. At the Data Sharing and Early Warning System workshop, the ASI made recommendations on how to anticipate likely trade distortions that have historically led to subsidy and dumping behaviour by importers.
The ASI also mounted a case for improved protection for the local steel industry at the recent Minerals and Metals Processing Roundtable called by the Federal Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres.
These recommendations aim to achieve quicker outcomes, combined with a reduced administrative burden on SME businesses that are being damaged by unfair trade. We welcome your support and continued input to the campaign.
Members wanting to find out more about the campaign should go to https://steel.org.au/what-we-do/advocacy/asi-campaign-on-imported-fabricated-steelwork/
Australia’s steel sector has always demonstrated resilience and capability. ASI will continue to push for the trade measures and policy settings necessary to ensure our industry’s long-term viability and to secure a fair and level playing field for our members.
2025 Australian Steel Convention
The 2025 Australian Steel Convention was held from 15 to 17 September at the Manly Pacific Sydney.
With the theme of Participate Innovate Evolve, the convention offered a comprehensive view of pivotal areas such as sustainability, technological advancement, global market dynamics, and infrastructure development—each critical to driving long-term resilience and growth in the sector.
The convention was an opportunity to come together as a community, to share insights, spark innovation, and form the partnerships that will carry our industry forward. Attendees heard from leaders inside and outside our sector, saw case studies of steel in action, and engaged in critical conversations on trade, infrastructure, decarbonisation, and energy transition.
On behalf of the Australian Steel Institute, I extend my sincere thanks to our sponsors, without whom this event would not have been possible. In particular, I would like to thank our major sponsors BlueScope, Visy Logistics, InfraBuild, Combilift, ACRS and all of our exhibitors and supporters. I also thank our speakers and program contributors for bringing their expertise to this Convention.
Mark Cain
Chief executive, ASI
