ArcelorMittal South Africa discovered two years ago that it was at risk of losing its licence to trade from the government in the face of competition from Chinese imports, Makwana said. That suggests the country was willing to abandon the company, which reckons it makes up about 1 percent of South African economic output directly and indirectly. As about two-thirds of the government's National Development Plan involves infrastructure, a local steel industry is an "essential requirement", Makwana said as ArcelorMittal South Africa published its corporate responsibility report.