On October 28, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) initiated an investigation into the evasion of trade defense measures on certain hot-rolled steel products originating in China.

The investigation targets hot-rolled flat-rolled alloy or non-alloy iron or steel products with a width of more than 1,880 mm and less than or equal to 2,300 mm and a thickness from 1.2 mm to 25.4 mm, pickled or not pickled, not clad or plated, with a carbon content less than or equal to 0.30% by mass. This probe suspects that Chinese goods are using minor changes to bypass existing anti-dumping (AD) duties.

The investigation was launched following a request from two major domestic producers, Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Stock Company and Formosa Ha Tinh Steel, submitted on June 3.

The process is expected to last up to nine months. The outcome will determine whether temporary or final anti-circumvention measures will be applied.