US and South Korea sign new free trade deal, including quotas for US steel imports
According to news reports, the United States and South Korea signed a revised free-trade deal. The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) reportedly addresses many trade issues faced by US exporters, mainly automotive producers. The new KORUS also limits steel and aluminum imports from South Korea. According to the agreement, the United States will impose a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. Steel, however, will be subject to a product-specific quota, equivalent to 70 percent... Read More
IREPAS 35th anniversary awards
Of the many deserving long-term contributors to the IREPAS community, several were awarded plaques at the gala dinner held at the 79th meeting in Istanbul, which marked the 35th anniversary of the foundation of IREPAS. Read More
Turkey imposes provisional import measures on certain steel products
According to a notice issued by the Turkish Ministry of Trade, Turkey has set import quotas for certain steel products and will collect a 25 percent import duty if the quota is exceeded. The measures will be in place for 200 days from September 20 onwards. Products to be subject to the provisional safeguard measures are flat steel products, long steel products, pipes and hollow sections, stainless steel and steel products for railways. On the other hand, per World Trade Organization... Read More
IREPAS in Istanbul: All eyes on protectionist measures as IREPAS celebrates its 35th anniversary with record attendance
The 79th meeting of IREPAS (International Rebar Exporters and Producers Association) was held in Istanbul, Turkey on September 16-18, 2018. There were 139 producer representatives among the record 519 registered delegates from a total of 52 different countries. There were also 84 registrations representing 45 different raw material suppliers. At the opening of the conference which celebrated the 35th year of this bi-annual meeting, Murat Cebecioglu, chairman of IREPAS, said that... Read More
Argentina imposes 12 percent tariff on all exports, including steel
The Argentinian government has imposed a tariff on all exports, including steel products, according to a notice published this week at the country’s official gazette. The move aims to help Argentina meet its fiscal goals, following an increased devaluation of the Argentinian Peso (ARS) devaluation and a high public deficit. Argentina imposed a 12 percent tariff over “all products included in the Mercosur HTS codes.” Argentina said the tariff can not exceed ARS 4 for each... Read More