Steel institute calls for help for fabricators hit by dumping

Peak steel body the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) is seeking state and federal government support for local steel fabricators and manufacturers, after research revealed the local industry is being seriously undercut by a glut of cheap imports.

An ASI survey of steel fabricators and manufacturers in July 2024 revealed 86 percent had reduced profit margins because of cheap imported fabricated steel, which is being priced between 15 and 50 percent lower than the local offer.

The extent of the price undercutting being reported is indicative of subsidies from the country of origin, and/or dumping being a major contributor to the problem, according to ASI.

The use of subsidies and dumping of goods as a means to gain market share is unfair and breaches international trade rules. This is because local businesses are not able to viably compete with overseas exporters that benefit from a range of subsidies or marginally price their surplus production to flood export markets.

This issue is particularly impacting east coast fabrication businesses that are reliant on the portal frame market for structural steel, but it is also having a detrimental effect on a wide range of other steel product manufacturers.

ASI chief executive Mark Cain said the impacted businesses were reporting loss of viability due to decreased profit margin, loss of revenue due to lower volumes and capacity utilisation, and increased costs.

Cain said: “The ASI is engaging with state and federal governments in order to bring this problem to their attention, explain the damage that is being done to strategically important local industries, and to identify what courses of action are available to provide relief to members.”

Nearly half of those surveyed are undertaking some form of restructuring in an attempt to remain viable. The brunt of the impact is being born by small and medium sized businesses, each typically employing between 20 and 200s, and providing skilled employment in their local region.

Approximately 80 percent of those surveyed reported that they are now operating at less than 80 percent capacity utilisation, which is typically a benchmark for breakeven profitability in manufacturing.

At the extremely distressed end of the response, one fifth of businesses responded that they are operating at below 50 percent of production capacity.

ASI members have described a grim picture of needing to lay off long-term, skilled staff members in order to remain viable due to greatly diminished orders.

One general manager of a long-established NSW steel fabrication business said: “We estimate that over the past 18 months there has been almost $300m worth of steel being imported from overseas into Sydney alone.”

Another Sydney steel product manufacturer who didn’t wish to be named said a far more proactive approach was needed by government to investigate whether the product was being dumped in Australia.

The ASI is aware of several complaints being investigated by the Anti-Dumping Commission involving various types of imported steel products.

Picture: Mark Cain