Japan has preliminarily determined that imports of hot-dip galvanized steel sheet and strip from China and South Korea were dumped and caused material injury to the domestic steel industry, moving the anti-dumping investigation a step closer to the possible imposition of duties.
The Ministry of Finance said its investigation found sufficient evidence of dumping and injury involving hot-dip galvanized steel sheet and strip originating in China and South Korea. The products covered include galvanized flat steel classified under several HS codes, excluding certain alloy-coated and specialty products.
The investigation covers alleged dumping during January-December 2024, while the injury assessment covers the period from April 2022 to March 2025.
For South Korea, the Ministry calculated preliminary dumping margins of 32.49pct for POSCO and 42.69pct for KG Steel, while other cooperating producers were assigned a weighted-average margin of 34.22pct. Non-cooperating exporters were assigned a margin of 42.69pct.
For China, preliminary dumping margins were set at 63.95pct for Angang Steel and 68.67pct for Hunan Valin, with other cooperating producers receiving a 63.95pct margin. Non-cooperating exporters were assigned a margin of 68.67pct.
Japanese authorities concluded that although domestic demand for galvanized steel declined during the investigation period, imports of the subject products increased and were consistently sold below domestic prices. The government said low-priced imports reduced the market share of Japanese producers, forced domestic mills to lower prices and contributed to weaker profitability, supporting its preliminary finding of material injury.
Interested parties may submit evidence and comments before August 7, with rebuttal submissions due by August 28, before the authorities make a final determination on whether anti-dumping duties should be imposed.