US sets final duties in rebar trade case
Steel Market Update reported on July 29, 2026 that US trade authorities set final duties in a rebar trade case. The headline signals a concluded enforcement action on the rebar product category, marking the resolution of a US trade remedy proceeding and giving importers and exporters a final duty rate to incorporate into pricing and contracts.
Colombia's Decree 0264 imposes 35% tariff on long steel
According to a Bomis Steel analysis dated July 30, 2026, Colombia's Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MinCIT) issued Decree 0264 in mid-July, establishing a 35% import tariff on long steel products. The measure covers HS codes 7213, 7214, 7216 and 7217, which include hot-rolled rebar and H-beams. Importers of these products must immediately recalculate landed costs, as the new duty erodes the standard margins that previously made Colombian rebar imports viable.
Flat steel exempted to protect housing supply
The same Bomis Steel analysis notes that flat-rolled steel categories under HS 7208, 7209 and 7210 are completely exempt from the new tariff. The exemption covers hot and cold-rolled coils, galvanized and galvalume products, and prepainted corrugated sheets used in VIS affordable housing projects such as trapezoidal profiles, RAL pre-painted sheets and galvalume coils. The government is signaling that it will not allow import tariffs to hinder affordable housing supply, opening up significant market potential for flat steel importers.
Why rebar and long products are targeted
Domestic Colombian mills including Acerías Paz del Río and Gerdau Diaco can meet domestic demand for long products, which prompted state intervention to protect their market share. Conversely, Colombia cannot produce enough flat steel domestically, which is why import channels for those categories remained open. The clear dividing line drawn in Chapters 72 and 73 of the HS schedule reflects this underlying industrial capacity imbalance and explains why rebar, specifically, lands inside the tariff perimeter.
Next milestones
Colombia's government will review the impact of Decree 0264 in January 2027, though the Bomis Steel analysis argues the flat steel exemptions are unlikely to be reversed given the scale of the VIS housing rollout. The Expocamacol trade fair takes place in August 2026 in Medellín, where flat steel suppliers are positioned to attract buyers seeking tariff-free categories. US market participants will adjust to the finalized rebar duties in the coming weeks, though the full scope of the US action is not detailed in the available reporting.
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