The world is stepping up measures against dumped imports of steel products

Global players in the steel market are stepping up measures against dumped imports of metal products to protect their producers. Last week, several countries announced the launch of investigations or the extension of anti-dumping duties.

The US Department of Commerce has launched an investigation into imports of rebar from Algeria, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Vietnam. According to the American Rebar Trade Action Coalition, the supplies were made at below-market prices, which caused damage to domestic producers. The preliminary dumping margins are 127% for Algeria, over 128% for Egypt, and 117% for Vietnam. In addition to the anti-dumping complaint, a complaint has also been filed regarding subsidized supplies from the three countries.

At the same time, Brazil has launched its own investigation into hot-rolled steel imports from China, India, and Indonesia. According to preliminary estimates, imports at reduced prices are causing losses to the national steel industry. Brazilian producers have long complained about aggressive pricing by China.

At the same time, China has decided to extend anti-dumping duties on imports of stainless steel from the EU, the UK, South Korea, and Indonesia for another five years. The duties range from 20.2% to 103.1%, depending on the country and product. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that the cancellation of the measures could again harm local producers.

Against the backdrop of growing global protectionism, Ukraine should also strengthen the protection of its producers.

According to GMK Center, since the start of the full-scale war, steel imports to Ukraine have skyrocketed, particularly from Turkey. The share of Turkish rolled metal in Ukrainian imports exceeded 51% in 2024, and for certain items, it reached 80-90% of the market. This poses a serious threat to domestic producers, who operate under significantly worse conditions. Given the widespread use of cheap Russian raw materials in Turkey, Ukraine should introduce mechanisms to control the origin of products and consider anti-dumping measures similar to those practiced by the EU.