Vietnam launches AD probe into CR stainless imports from Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Indonesia

The investigation, initiated on November 6, covers cold-rolled stainless steel coils, sheets and strips with a thickness of 3.5mm or less. The products are classified under HS codes 7219.32.00, 7219.33.00, 7219.34.00, 7219.35.00, 7219.90.00, 7220.20.10, 7220.20.90, 7220.90.10, and 7220.90.90.

The application was submitted in August by Posco VST Co., Ltd. and Tan Viet Metal Science and Technology Co., Ltd., representing Vietnam's domestic stainless steel industry.

Following the initiation, the investigating authority will send sampling questionnaires to known foreign producers and exporters, before issuing detailed investigation questionnaires to assess alleged dumping, injury to the domestic industry and the causal link between the two, according to the ministry. It may impose provisional anti-dumping measures, if warranted by the preliminary investigation findings.

According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, China's total stainless steel exports to Vietnam reached 415,908 tonnes in this year's January-September period, up 7% year on year. The figure covers all stainless steel products, not just those subject to the investigation, Mysteel Global notes.

This is the second AD probe Hanoi has launched on behalf of Vietnam's stainless cold-rolled sector, after that the MOIT began in July 2013 into imports from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan. That investigation was again in response to a complaint lodged by Posco VST and targeted imports under the same HS codes, notes Korean industry daily Steel & Metal News. 

That probe – the first launched by Vietnam into stainless imports – resulted in penalties of up to 37.29% being imposed starting from October 2014. After the first sunset review in 2019, the duties were retained but a second review in November 2024 decided against extending the penalties.

"This latest survey marks the resumption of an investigation into the three countries under the same item and HS codes just two years after the previous AD ended," the SMN observed.

Ironically, Posco VST and Tan Viet Metal Technology were among a list of 20 Vietnamese producers and exporters identified as subjects of an AD investigation launched by Taiwan's Ministry of Finance in August into certain cold-rolled, flat-rolled stainless steel products originating from Vietnam, as Mysteel Global reported.

In that case, domestic producers Yieh United Steel Corp and Tang Eng Iron Works had filed a suit alleging that Vietnamese imports are being sold at unfairly low prices, causing material injury to the local industry.

Written by Tiffany Hou, houtianhui@mysteel.com

Edited by Russ McCulloch, russ.mcculloch@mysteel.com