TEHRAN Managing Director of National Steel Company Mostafa Mozounzadeh said here Sunday that the 'effective tariff rates' for steel imports will be raised from one percent to over 10 percent.

He said that a directive would shortly be published by the Commerce Ministry directing the Customs Organization to implement the policy.

He said steel imports from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine threatens Iranian steel industry, ''but, by determining a real and logical tariff structure, the domestic steel industry will be adequately supported.''

Mozounzadeh added that Iran imported four million tons of steel annually, most of which is of low quality.

Low tariff rates and close proximity of the exporting countries to Iran are the principal reason of low quality steel imports, he noted.

He said the country steel imports' needs is about 1.5 million tons annually, but, ''unfortunately, due to low tariff, in the first four month of the year (started March 21), over 1.5 million tons of steel products have been imported.''

Mozounzadeh said that to support the steel industry, prudent policies, including, implementing an effective tariff structure and anti-dumping measures, as well as putting in place a plan for systematic supervision should be delineated and carried out.

He said that Iranian steel industry enjoys an abundant of raw material, manpower and energy sources. ''high tariff rates are only needed to be levied on steel imports from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.''

The official said the average cost of one ton of Iranian finished steel is $200-250 which can compete with all countries steel except Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

63 percent of the cost of domestic steel production consist of raw material and the more domestic raw material is used, the lower the finished steel price, he remarked.

On Saturday, Managing Director of Isfahan Mobarakeh Steel-II Complex Mahmoud Eslamian said unfettered steel imports 'seriously threaten' 450,000 jobs in the country.