Iron, steel group airs concern over substandard steel

The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) has again called on the government to stop the proliferation of substandard and uncertified steel bars in the country.

PISI said these were either imported or produced by local rolling mills using induction furnaces, notably in Pampanga, Davao City and Bukidnon, the group said in a statement on Monday.

“The problem of substandard rebars (reinforcing steel bars) is driven by economic gain from the market that is not very conscious of product quality and safety,” said PISI President Roberto Cola.

Cola said this in a recent Senate hearing called by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, who chairs the committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship.

Cola noted that China had already declared illegal the induction furnaces used in the production of construction steel.

This was not the first time this concern over substandard steel was raised.

Back in February this year, the Asean Iron and Steel Council (AISC), which includes PISI, said these induction facilities are generally not capable of removing harmful elements in liquid steel, thus resulting in the inconsistent quality of steel products produced.

The regional group noted that the main adverse impact of the use of induction furnace for steelmaking is the production of substandard quality steel products, which pose a safety hazard as construction materials.

AISC added that an induction furnace uses a lot of electricity and is not environment-friendly.

Thus, AISC has urged the respective governments in Southeast Asia to immediately prohibit the importation of induction furnaces from China for use in producing carbon steel products.

Meanwhile, the PISI also recommended measures to stop the proliferation of substandard steel in the Philippines, including a nationwide market monitoring and standards enforcement campaign to be conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

PISI added that the DTI-Bureau of Product Standards should also conduct a nationwide information and education campaign on rebar standards and safety.

Lastly, PISI said there should be a more stringent inspection, sampling, and testing procedure for imported rebars.