WTO sides with Japan against Korea’s ADs on stainless bar

One of the longest-running disputes in global steel trading might finally be resolved. This follows the recent decision of a dispute settlement panel of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which ruled that South Korea’s imposition of anti-dumping duties on Japanese stainless bars for the past 16 years violates WTO rules.

The dispute has its origins back in July 2004 when the Korean government upheld a claim filed by local steelmakers SeAH Special Steel and its now sister company SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel and imposed AD penalties of 15.39% on imports of Japanese stainless bars, initially for a three-year period. During 2002 when