Vietnam steel assoc urges swift resolution of anti-dumping case against Chinese, S.Korean imports

The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) is urging the Ministry of Industry and Trade to accelerate an anti-dumping investigation into coated steel imports from China and South Korea, warning that the continued influx of low-cost Chinese steel is placing significant pressure on domestic manufacturers.

In a recent request to the ministry, VSA chairman Nghiem Xuan Da said that since the anti-dumping measures against Chinese coated steel (Case AD02) expired in May 2022, imports from China have surged, accounting for 64-67 percent of the total imported steel during the 2022-23 period.

This trend, Da said, continues to undermine Vietnam’s domestic steel industry and requires urgent intervention.

In this context, another anti-dumping case against coated steel imports from China and South Korea – Case AD19 – was initiated in May 2024 by five major steel manufacturers: Hoa Sen Group, Nam Kim Steel JSC, Southern Steel Sheet Co., Ltd., Ton Dong A Corporation, and China Steel and Nippon Steel Vietnam.

Despite months of investigation, authorities have yet to reach a conclusion.

Meanwhile, on February 21, 2025, the ministry imposed temporary anti-dumping duties on hot-rolled coil (HRC) imports from India and China under Case AD20.

This case, filed after AD19, was resolved more quickly, raising concerns about inconsistent handling of trade cases.

A Ho Chi Minh City-based steel executive told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday that the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, under the ministry, had completed its verification of Case AD19 but had not yet issued a ruling.

Criticizing that the ministry’s process of handling anti-dumping cases was unreasonable and illogical, the executive argued that while HRC – the primary raw material for coated steel – is now protected, the coated steel sector remains vulnerable to a persistent influx of cheap imports.

As a result, domestic HRC prices have risen due to anti-dumping duties, increasing production costs for coated steel manufacturers.

At the same time, low-cost coated steel from China continues to enter the Vietnamese market, leaving local manufacturers struggling with high material costs and intense foreign competition.

The VSA warned that if the situation persists, not only will the coated steel industry suffer, but the entire domestic steel supply chain will face serious setbacks.

Therefore, the association urged the ministry to swiftly resolve Case AD19 to ensure fair competition and stronger protections for Vietnamese steel manufacturers.

By Vinh Tho & Cong Trung – Tuoi Tre News – February 28, 2025