SOUTH AFRICA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL STEEL CONFERENCE

SOUTH AFRICA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL STEEL CONFERENCE

The Steel Committee Conference for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that South Africa will host next month will contribute significantly to the current debates in the sustainability of the South African steel industry, specifically on beneficiation.

South Africa will become the first African country to host the OECD when the Committee’s 77th session takes place in Cape Town from 11-12 December 2014

According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies,  the conference will  put the spotlight on the South African steel industry by highlighting investment opportunities in the sector in an attempt to entice prospective investors to consider South Africa as an ideal destination for raw material value-addition.

“The Steel Committee Conference will bring together 250 international government and industry representatives from importing and exporting economies to assess emerging market trends and policy developments affecting trade in steelmaking raw materials.

The objective of the workshop is to discuss policy interventions implemented globally in the iron ore and steel markets. These activities are important as there is an increasing drive to strengthen global steel trade.” says Minister Davies.

South Africa became a member of the OECD in 2008. The Steel Committee is one of the committees that the country has an observer status in through its multi-lateral relations commitments in the OECD.

 The Steel Committee is comprised of 27 OECD country members, four associates (Brazil, Romania, Russian Federation and Ukraine), as well as seven participants (Argentina, Bulgaria, Egypt, India, Malaysia, South Africa and Chinese Taipei). China participates in Committee discussions as an Invitee.

The Committee’s participants account for most of the world’s steel production and trade. The Committee viewed as a think-tank and a platform to understand policy decisions and instruments deployed by participating countries to support the growth and development of the global steel industry. 

It will only be the second time that the Steel Committee Conference for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is held outside its headquarters in Paris, France. The session is being organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti). The 2008 session took place in Malaysia, and that event proved to be a very positive experience for both Malaysia and the OECD Steel Committee.