There are many issues being flagged in Australia with
imported Steel that are not just about meeting standards but also about
unethical practices towards trying to meet conformance stipulations. To understand
the issues, we need to take a look at the worldwide industry and develop an
understanding of how quality is being given the go-by in a situation of
economic stress.
Steel Production Data
In 2014, China produced over 800 Million Tonnes of Crude
Steel followed by Japan at just over 100 Million Tonnes. The third and fourth
positions were held by the USA and India each at just under 100 Million Tonnes
with fifth-placed South Korea also at around the 100 Million level. Australia
was 35th on the list at 4.6 Million Tonnes. Global production was
close to 1700 Million Tonnes in 2014. Australian Crude Steel production had
dropped from close to 8 Million Tonnes in 2008 to 4.6 Million Tonnes in 2014.
The declining trend also occurred with Aluminium.
Australian Producers
The main Molten Steel producers in Australia, Arrium and
Bluescope are both spun-off units of BHP Steel, the first in 2000 and the
second in 2002. Last year, when making a submission to the Senate Economic
Committee, Arrium which has 75 percent share of the domestic construction and
infrastructure market stated that “China was continuing to run loss-making
facilities through subsidies” and that China was “relying on export markets to
accept marginally-costed products.” In Australia’s overall crude steel
production, Arrium contributes 44 percent or 2.6 Million Tonnes.
Reported Issues in Imported Steel
Arrium referred to a previous submission made by the
Australian Steel Institute (ASI) on non-compliant imported products. The ASI
had raised issues such as substandard welding, laminations in plates that could
cause major failures, substandard corrosion protection, The ASI had also
submitted that sections of local fabricators were forced to compromise on
quality in their pursuit of competitive rates. Very grave issues were also
raised by the ASI on fraudulent behavior. These included manipulated test
certificates and welds that were done with silicone rubber and then being
painted upon.
Why is Steel from China cheap
The issue of cost is quite intriguing as locally made steel
would be available at lower freight cost when compared to steel that is shipped
from China or India. The answer is that Chinese steel is being sold at lower
than its production cost because the country is producing far more than it
consumes. However, there are substantial issues that arise over the product
lifecycle which clearly show that procurement cost when looked over the long
term is costlier when it comes to overseas Steel.
Range of Complaints
Participating in an ABC broadcast in
2015, Ron Barrington, Managing Director, Cullen Steel, revealed an instance
where the company was contracted to repair a bridge in Penrith, Sydney.
Barrington revealed that the bridge which had a design deflection of 100
millimetrers was actually deflecting about 600 millimetres. Barrington said
Cullen Steel determined the bridge to be about to collapse, had it removed and
cut up, and constructed it back again. Other issues raised in the broadcast
were that Chinese Steel had a higher content of Boron towards getting over
anti-dumping regulations around the world. This would cause the steel to become
brittle when welded without knowledge of the extra boron that had been added.
Australian Steel meets Australian Standards
According to the ASI, Australian standards cover the entire
chain from mechanical properties, chemical composition, dimensions and mass tolerance.
The ASI warns that if any of these standards are not adhered to, then the
finished product will not live up to its rated performance.
Listing the advantages of utilising Australian Steel, the
ASI points out that benefits such as customisation for local environmental
conditions are not available with imported steel. The ASI states that the
quality and adherence to standards of Australian steel can be fully relied upon
by users. The ASI also points out that the industry has been innovating and has
become a pathbreaker in certain niches. Quality control is being achieved
through the transition to automated processes whereby designs are applied on
numerically controlled machines which facilitates identification and
traceability.
Successful Australian manufacturers
A successful innovation example is that of Bisalloy which is
based in Wollongong. The company specialises in Quench & Tempered (Q&T)
Steel plate and is a stand-alone unit. The High-Strength steel has exceptional
hardness and is built to withstand the toughest wear and tear. The company’s
Wear Steel is used in cutters and cutting edges, dump truck wear liners, rock
buckets and earthmoving buckets. It has developed the steel plates used in
Australia’s Collins Class submarines. It also makes Light-Weight High Strength
Steel.
Devising new mechanisms for Inspection
Writing in Steel Australia March 2017 issue, Peter Golding,
Chief Executive of the Galvanizers Association of Australia says imported parts
are galvanized to differing standards. GAA along with the other galvanizing
association GANZ and the Australasian Corrosion Association have developed an
Inspector Program. The Program looks into the quality of fabricated steel
products as it is crucial in achieving a high-quality galvanizing result. The Galvanizing
industry’s Sorel Awards for 2016 were awarded to an utilization based on
standards developed by the GAA. The award-winner had convinced its client ALDI
Australia to replace red oxide coating with hot-dip galvanizing. The awards
have weightage for technical and engineering innovation and economic benefit
for the user among other criteria.
Effect on Economy from Imported Steel
According to ASI data, there has been a 5 percent drop in
domestic steel used in fabricated construction since 2010. The ASI also states
that when Australian Steel slips in local utilization, there would be a similar
‘multiplier effect’ on all associated industries. The ASI’s “Making Steel
Stronger” Report
states that each employee in the Steel industry is equivalent to six employees
in associated industries.
Anti-Dumping Notices
Taking a look at some recent Anti-Dumping Notices by the
Anti-Dumping Commission, an investigation was initiated into alleged dumping of
alloy round Steel bar exported from China. A ‘Statement of Essential Facts’ on
the investigation is due to be tabled no later than 19 July 2017. An ongoing
investigation into galvanized steel exported from India, Malaysia and Vietnam
that was initiated in October 2016 is continuing to receive submissions from
the countries and exporters concerned.