Lobby Group Calls For Ban on Scrap Metal Exports

It must be noted that the country has about 50 small to large plants.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Zimbabwe Institute of Foundries (ZIF) has urged the country’s government to implement a ban on exports of scrap metal out of the country, in a bid to save the domestic industry.

According to Dosman Mangisi, SIF spokesperson, shortage of feedstock and high scrap metal prices have led to closure of over 30 foundry and steel recycling firms in Zimbabwe over the past two years. Although the foundry sector has been trying hard to narrow the production gap, the exports of scrap metals even by big firms are seen posing serious challenges to their operations, Mangisi noted. It must be noted that the country has about 50 small to large plants.

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From being a major steel producer in the region, Zimbabwe has now turned into a net importer of steel, primarily due to declining production, which was further accelerated by the closure of Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO).

ZIF urged the Zimbabwean government to ban exports of scrap with immediate effect. It has organized a two-day summit next week at the Harare Institute of Technology to discuss the challenges faced by the industry, including rising theft and vandalism, triggered by robust demand for scrap steel.