Bisalloy Steels, headquartered at Unanderra on the NSW south coast, has further consolidated its global presence by securing CE (European Conformity) certification for its structural grades. The CE mark is a globally recognised indicator of compliance with the European Union’s health, safety and environmental protection requirements. Achieving the certification means Bisalloy’s structural-grade steel plates have met the high standards required for use in European construction and infrastructure projects. Founded in 1980, Bisalloy Steels is Australia’s only manufacturer of high-strength and high-toughness quenched and tempered steel plate used for armour, structural and wear-resistant applications. Now with customers in more than 40 countries, Bisalloy supplies defence, energy and mining industries worldwide. “Achieving CE marking for our structural grades is a significant step in strengthening Bisalloy´s position in international markets,” said Dr Willy Pang, head of Technical and Quality at Bisalloy Steels

“It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to technical excellence, quality assurance and supporting our customers’ needs, wherever they operate,” he added, in a statement released to the press on January 29.

Dr Pang explained that for structural steel manufacturers, CE marking is critical. It confirms compliance with EN1090 and EN10025, the governing European standard for steel structures and structural steels. It is a legal requirement for supplying structural steel into the European Economic Area and the UK. Since July 2014, under the Construction Products Regulation, all steel products supplied for structural use are required to be manufactured by an approved facility and carry CE certification.

Bisalloy´s CE certification follows its announcement on January 19 that it has formed a strategic partnership with MIRAS Steel Trade of Romania. Under the collaboration, Bisalloy and MIRAS will support the supply, processing and distribution of high-performance steel solutions for defence, naval and associated heavy engineering applications across Romania, Czechia, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova. “This collaboration represents a major step forward in bringing Bisalloy´s combat-proven, test and certified steel to European customers with the responsiveness and local support they expect,” said Justin Suwart, Armor Business development manager at Bisalloy Steels. “Together with MIRAS, we will look to support our customers in this region with faster lead times, local fabrication options and seamless technical support. We will also look to grow our network of end users across this part of Europe,” he added. 

To other news, the worldwide supply of iron ore, a key ingredient in the steelmaking process, has become a battleground where Australia´s historical dominance is being challenged on several fronts. Central to this issue is the reality that the bulk of Australia´s iron ore is of low-grade quality at a time when the world increasingly wants high-grade iron ore; because it contributes less to carbon emissions. Thus, the arrival in China in mid-January of the first shipment from the new Simandou project in Guinea is both significant and symbolic. Simandou offers 65% Fe high-grade ore, leading some market observers to dub it the “Pilbara killer”. Although the first shipment was only a 200,000 metric tonnes cargo, Simandou’s planned full-scale production capacity is expected at 120 million metric tonnes (Mm/t) per year, with exports likely to total around 15 Mm/t in 2026, according to S&P Global Energy CERA. Simandou comprises four mining blocks, with interests held by the Guinean government, Rio Tinto and a Chinese-led consortium.

China is the world’s top iron ore importer, with its 2025 imports totalling 1.3 billion metric tonnes, according to S&P Global. Australia was the largest supplier to China in 2025 at 830.9 Mm/t, followed by Brazil at 304.5 Mm/t, South Africa at 35.4 Mm/t and India at 26.4 Mm/t. Australia’s total seaborne exports stood at 977.3 Mm/t for the year. Analysts believe the arrival of Simandou onto the scene could lead to a global oversupply of iron ore with consequent downward pressure on prices.

BHP is already feeling the effects of this changing landscape. The big Australian has been locked in price negotiations for several months with the China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG), which was set up in 2022 to centralise iron ore purchasing and win better terms from miners. Last September, it was reported – though not confirmed – that CMRG had barred Chinese steel mills and traders from buying BHP’s Jimblebar Blend Fines (JMBF), a type of medium-grade iron ore. Then, in November Reuters reported the CMRG had further instructed Chinese mills and traders to cease buying cargoes of BHP´s Jinbao fines, a low-grade iron ore.

Last month, Reuters reported that BHP had shipped some small cargoes of JBMF iron ore to Malaysia and Vietnam. These unusual trades imply that the miner is seeking to diversify its buyers to mitigate its China difficulties. BHP has only confirmed that the price talks are still ongoing and that in the meantime it is “optimising distribution channels”.

Readers of ASN will be aware that the British industrialist, Sanjeev Gupta, is the owner of GFG Alliance which, here in Australia, owns InfraBuild and was also the owner of the Whyalla Steelworks until it went into liquidation a year ago. Mr Gupta´s main Australian company, Liberty Primary Metals Australia, went into voluntary administration last November, and the administrators were also called in for one of its subsidiaries, Tahmoor Coal, in the same month. Much of Mr Gupta´s relationship with the Australian steel industry has been characterised by promises not being met, contractor payments being delayed or not met, and workers being furloughed. Across the conglomerate of GFG Alliance companies, a similar trend has been seen since the 2021 collapse of GFG´s principal lender, Greensill Capital. Numerous of Mr Gupta´s companies in Europe have become insolvent, as have some of his UK operations.

A case in point. In 2015, the Dalzell steel mill in Scotland was sold to Mr Gupta in a deal brokered by the Scottish government which chose Mr Gupta and lent him £7 million in part because he also promised to turn around the Alvance aluminium smelter in Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, and to open an aluminium car wheel factory. Alvance was loss-making in the year to March 2021 and has failed to file accounts since then. The wheel factory was never opened, and the £7 million loan is still outstanding. Now, Liberty Steel Dalzell has been close to idle since mid-2024 and recently admitted it had insufficient cashflow to buy the slab needed to supply 34,000 tonnes of metal plates to a shipbuilder with a contract to the Royal Navy. The Dalzell mill has not filed accounts for five years. Furthermore, in August of last year Mr Gupta lost control over Specialty Steel UK in South Yorkshire because it was deemed by a High Court judge to be “hopelessly insolvent”. Mr Gupta continues to be the subject of a long-running fraud investigation by the UK´s Serious Fraud Office. He denies any wrongdoing.