Al-Masry Al-Youm has learnt that steel manufacturers are preparing for collective actions, including halting production and going on a partial strike. They said they wanted to put pressure on the Industry Minister and the government to impose protectionist fees on imported Turkish steel. Coordination is currently underway among steel manufacturers to stop factories in March due to the heavy losses steel factories have suffered. Manufacturers are seeking to unify their stance, set aside the controversies among them, and eventually go on a total strike involving local factories. Meanwhile, some manufacturers have started coordinating their actions with some MPs to demand an urgent interpellation of Industry and Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid, as he has not yet imposed any protectionist fee on imported steel. They also said he should the first person concerned with protecting, supporting and developing the national industry. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a producer said manufacturers stepped up their actions after news leaked out of the Ministry of Industry that no fee would be imposed on imported steel over the next few weeks. He said this infuriated a few manufacturers. The source pointed out all manufacturers, including el-Garhy and Beshay, called on the ministry to protect the national industry, but the ministry had not met their demand. Yet, he said the ministry knew very well that all medium and small factories were close to shutting down. Some major manufacturers are taking part in these intense actions to put pressure on the ministry, but without appearing on the media given their sensitive position and their relations with the government. Rafik el-Dau, managing director of Misr National Steel company, said the prices announced for the month of March could not be otherwise. He also affirmed that most factories, especially those manufacturing billet, were losing some LE 300 per ton, as prices were going down and they had to buy billet at more than $400. He pointed out that a ton of steel for medium and small factories cost LE 3,100 but was being sold at LE 2,800 so that it might compete with Turkish steel, which he said was being dumped in the market. He said he was losing some LE 600 for every ton of billet due to its low price in Ukraine, the devaluation of the currency and the availability of raw materials on the local markets. He affirmed he could not survive for long in such a spiral of losses, stressing he recently lost hundreds of millions of LE.
