ArcelorMittal opposes Chinese imports of steel products

South Africa's largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal South Africa, said the government should impose tariffs on cheap steel imports from China as the company seeks to achieve profit margins.

Paul O'Flaherty, the company's chief executive officer, said in an interview in Johannesburg that ArcelorMittal's unit in South Africa, the world's largest steel producer, has already filed a petition to consider imposing duties on flat steel products that are imported from China. In addition, the company also plans to file a similar complaint about a tax on long steel products.

This steel product is the main material used in vehicle construction, instrument making and pipe making. This mainly applies to flat steel products such as hot rolled coils and cold rolled coils. Long steel products are used in the construction industry, including the construction of large-scale buildings and large infrastructure projects in the country.

O'Flaherty was appointed to his post on July 1 and is now aiming to achieve his first annual profit since 2010 amid rising electricity costs that exceed inflation, weak domestic millet and cheap Chinese imports.

The CEO of the company also said that the company fulfilled its duty and submitted an application, and now everything is in the hands of the government, and all responsibility for the domestic steel market also rests on it. He also added that it is very difficult to fight a market that contains subsidized products with cheaper products than domestic products.