January 2026 Steel Imports Show Significant Increase. South Africa’s primary steel imports (excluding stainless, wire, and rail products) continued to rise in January 2026, reflecting ongoing pressures on the domestic industry. Total imports climbed 21% year-on-year, increasing from 127,781 tonnes in January 2025 to 154,681 tonnes.

Semi-finished products—including billets, blooms, and slabs—jumped 55%, from 11,740 tonnes to 18,167 tonnes. Long products surged 151%, driven by sharp increases in hot-rolled sections, bars and rods, wire rod, and reinforcing bar. While overall flat product imports grew modestly (+5%), hot-rolled coil imports rose 74%, reaching 42,959 tonnes. Notably, 78% of these hot-rolled imports originated from South Korea, highlighting the use of exempt jurisdictions to circumvent existing safeguard duties.

Imports from Zimbabwe also rose sharply, increasing 67% to 18,822 tonnes, compared with 11,244 tonnes in January 2025. The bulk of this volume consisted of semi-finished steel (16,050 tonnes), with a smaller share of long products (2,772 tonnes), including reinforcing bar (1,095 tonnes) and wire rod (1,677 tonnes) reported at FOB prices below comparable Chinese levels.

These trends underline the continued competitive pressures facing South Africa’s steel sector and highlight the importance of effective trade measures to protect domestic production and sustain local industry.