Australia has imposed a 10% tariff on steel roofing frames from Chinaafter an investigation carried out by the country’s Antidumping Commission.
The agency evaluated complaints from domestic producers about dumping by Chinese companies and found evidence confirming the practice. Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres imposed the tariff, warning against unfair trading practices.
“Australia’s prosperity linked to open, rules-based trade“, a spokesperson for Ayres stated in an email on Monday. “Any resulting trade remedies are based on rigorous and evidence-based investigations by the Commission and are fully consistent with Australia’s obligations under its trade agreements.”
This measure could aggravate trade tensions with China, the main market for Australia’s huge exports of iron ore (precursor of steel), which is expected to be worth about 114 billion Australian dollars (US$80 billion) in the fiscal year to June. Beijing’s state-backed iron ore buyer has already sought to exert greater control over the market, a move that could undermine the pricing power of miners and traders.
China’s steel shipments to Australia recorded double-digit percentage growth in 2023 and 2024, but remained relatively stable at around 782,000 tonnes in 2025, according to Bloomberg calculations based on Chinese customs data. This represents less than 1% of the country’s total exports last year.
The Australian government has already imposed tariffs on other steel products from China, such as hot-rolled steel in coilsaccording to the Department of Industry. Last month, the government’s Productivity Commission launched an investigation to protect the manufactured steel industry.
The Australian Steel Institute, an industry lobby group, has called for emergency measures to ease trade in recent months, expressing concerns about the surge in cheaply imported steel products. Last November, the institute said more than a dozen steel products manufacturers had closed in the state of New South Wales due largely to foreign competition.
