The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Digital Economy in Morocco announced its decision on a 36,000 t quota distribution among consumers of downstream flat steel products in 2021.

Allocation for CRC is 32,400 t, while for coated steel 3,600 t out of the total figure, same as in 2020, according to the official statement dated February 11.

The extra volumes will be subject to a 15% duty effective for 2021, whereas last year its rate was 15.5%.

Pipe maker Sofafer took 13.2%, the largest piece of CRC pie, while Longofer, another producer of steel tubes and profiles, became the second taker with a 9.1% share.

Morocco significantly reduced imports of the downstream flat steel products in 2020, taking into account numerous difficulties connected with COVID-19 spread and production halts in the automotive industry.

According to the preliminary data for 2020, provided by the International Trade Centre, the country’s imports of products involved in the trade case under the HS codes 7209, 7210, 7211, 7212, 7225, and 7226 dropped by 6.5% year-on-year to more than 62,000 t.