Weld Australia has criticised the Productivity Commission’s interim report into fabricated structural steel safeguards, calling for stronger procurement policies and greater support for Australian manufacturing and small and medium-sized fabricators.
In a media release, the industry body said the interim report concluded that safeguard measures were not warranted, despite the Commission’s data showing fabricated structural steel imports increased by 28 per cent over the five-year investigation period.
Weld Australia chief executive Geoff Crittenden said the findings did not adequately address the pressures facing local fabricators.
“The Productivity Commission has looked at an industry under siege and told it to wait,” Crittenden said. “The Commission’s own report concedes that imports are rising, that employment has fallen from its peak, and that industry segments are facing difficult conditions.”
He said the loss of local fabrication businesses could also result in the loss of skills and technical knowledge.
“On the workshop floor, it is capability being lost—jobs, skills and hard-won technical knowledge that cannot be rebuilt overnight,” Crittenden said.
Weld Australia said the interim report, which is open for public comment until 30 September 2026, highlighted the need for governments to strengthen procurement settings and support domestic manufacturing capability.
Crittenden said productivity should not be assessed solely through cost reduction.
“Real productivity comes from capability: better technology, better skills, better systems, better planning, better use of capital, and stronger local supply chains,” he said.
The organisation also pointed to pressure on SMEs, citing ASIC data showing 47,728 businesses had entered insolvency since May 2022, including 14,011 during the 2025–26 financial year.
“Most Australian fabricators are SMEs,” Crittenden said. “They do not have dedicated teams to manage every new compliance obligation, nor do they have the market power to simply pass on every cost increase.”
Weld Australia is calling for government procurement processes to consider factors including local content, standards compliance, whole-of-life value, skills development and supply chain resilience alongside price.
The organisation is also seeking stronger enforcement of Australian Standards for imported fabricated steel.
“Imported fabricated steel must be held to the same bar,” Crittenden said. “If it complies, it should be welcome. If it does not, it should not be used.”
Crittenden said the organisation’s position was focused on ensuring fair competition rather than restricting trade.
“This is not about protectionism. It is about fair competition, public safety and sovereign capability,” he said.
Weld Australia said Australian fabricators would play a role in sectors including defence, shipbuilding, infrastructure, energy, mining and critical minerals, and called for policies that provide greater certainty for local businesses.
“Australian welders and fabricators are not asking for special treatment,” Crittenden said. “They’re simply asking for a fair go.”
