Pretoria, September 17, 2025 — South Africa’s Competition Tribunal has dismissed an application for interim relief brought by steelmakers Cape Gate and Scaw South Africa against ArcelorMittal South Africa, involving allegations of predatory pricing.
Cape Gate and Scaw had accused ArcelorMittal of engaging in exclusionary conduct in violation of Section 8 of the Competition Act, following a government bailout of the country’s largest steel producer. The companies argued that ArcelorMittal’s decision on April 14, 2025, to slash prices on certain long steel products — at a time when rivals were raising prices amid a scrap metal shortage — amounted to predatory pricing designed to weaken competitors.
The applicants sought an order interdicting ArcelorMittal from pricing below April 14 levels and compelling it to charge at least the same prices for long steel products going forward. They claimed the company was deliberately sacrificing short-term profits to force rivals out of the market, positioning itself to reap higher profits once competitive pressure had diminished.
ArcelorMittal strongly opposed the interim relief bid, disputing that its conduct constituted predatory pricing. It maintained that there was no material reduction in prices before and after April 14, and argued that Cape Gate and Scaw had failed to establish a prima facie case of exclusionary conduct. The company also contended that the applicants had not shown irreparable harm, nor that the balance of convenience or interests of justice supported interim intervention.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Tribunal ruled against Cape Gate and Scaw, dismissing the application. While the Tribunal’s full reasons are expected to be published in due course, the dismissal means ArcelorMittal faces no immediate pricing restrictions as the broader investigation continues.
