Vietnam imposes AD duties on Chinese HRC; India exempted

Vietnam has imposed antidumping duties on hot-rolled coil imports from China while exempting India-origin HRC from the measures, a notice issued by the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 4 stated.

The duties will range between 23.01% and 27.83% and will remain in effect for five years starting July 6.

The final ruling came a year after Vietnamese authorities launched an antidumping probe against HRC imports from China and India in July 2024, following a petition filed by local producers Hoa Phat Group and Formosa Ha Tinh Steel. Provisional duties between 19.38% and 27.83% were imposed on Chinese HRC for 120 days, starting March 8.

The scope of the final duties was unchanged and applies to both alloyed and non-alloyed HRC products, with thickness between 1.2 mm and 25.4 mm and widths not exceeding 1,880 mm.

The Ministry also closed its probe into India-origin HRC, with no provisional duties imposed, after it found that the import volume from India during the investigation period was "insignificant," accounting for less than 3% of Vietnam's total imports.

Market participants said buyers have already shifted focus to wider width HRC in anticipation of this final ruling, adding that this could potentially lead to large-volume purchases in the coming days.

"We would likely see wider width buying in large volume. But buyers need to be cautious as this could lead to a countervailing investigation," a Vietnam-based trader said.

"I think the impact will not be as big as the temporary AD ruling, since 2,000-mm wide coils are still allowed. Buyers are focusing on wider widths for re-exporting purposes, especially for high-grade specs," a second Vietnam-based trader said.

A third Vietnam-based trader said the price spread between regular and 2,000 mm width coils should narrow in the coming days, from the average of $10/mt spread seen in the market currently.

"I think people might buy Chinese regular-width HRC for fabrication, then export it to claim tax refunds," the trader added.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed SS400 HRC of 3 mm thickness up $6/mt week over week at $448/mt FOB China on July 4. The same grade was assessed up $2/mt over the week at $443/mt CFR Southeast Asia.