Australian Industry Group welcomed the Productivity Commission's inquiry into 
safeguard measures for fabricated structural steel. We support a thorough, evidence-based assessment of whether the current market environment warrants government intervention, and we are committed to providing the Commission with the most accurate and comprehensive account of conditions affecting our members.

This submission addresses the key questions set out in the Commission's issues paper,
drawing on the direct experiences of our members. Where evidence is drawn from member feedback rather than published data, we have noted this explicitly. We have sought to complement rather than replicate the quantitative analysis the Commission will draw from ABS trade data and other sources.

Finally, we draw the Commission's attention to the timeliness of this inquiry. The global trade environment is shifting rapidly, with major jurisdictions – including the United States and the European Union – implementing significant new steel trade measures. The downstream effects of those measures on Australian import volumes are impacting the domestic market. We therefore urge the Commission to conduct its inquiry as expeditiously as possible.