Government Restricts Steel Imports

Oscar J Jeke

Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwean government has introduced new import controls on selected steel products, a move seen as backing the growth of local steel manufacturing spearheaded by Dinson Iron and Steel Company’s (DISCO) new plant near Chivhu.

Statutory Instrument 46 of 2025, published this week, requires importers to obtain licences for specific types of iron and steel previously allowed under an open general import licence. The change comes as DISCO ramps up output of products including deformed bars used in construction.

According to the notice, “Import licenses are now required for products under the above specified eight-digit codes.” The listed products include flat-rolled steel not clad or coated (Tariff Code 7211.19.00), non-alloy steel bars and rods (Tariff Codes 7214.20.00, 7214.30.00, 7214.99.00), and structural steel angles and sections (Tariff Codes 7216.10.00, 7216.21.00, 7216.22.00).

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce amended the 1974 Control of Goods (Open General Import Licence) Notice by inserting these items into the First Schedule, effectively making importation subject to regulation.

The policy shift is widely viewed as a protective measure to support local manufacturing and prevent cheaper imports from undercutting domestic production.

DISCO, a subsidiary of China’s Tsingshan Group, is in the early stages of commercial production and is projected to become one of Africa’s largest steel producers.