The UK Trade Enforcement Authority (TRA) has proposed anti-dumping (AD) measures on imports of hot-rolled steel sheet from South Korea following the interim findings of an ongoing investigation covering the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The proposed duties will range from 7.04 percent to 22.27 percent if applied to sheets over 600 gauge. mm. but less than 2500 mm wide, which is the preferred option for authorities. If applied to the full range of products under investigation, covering all sheets over 600mm wide, the duties would range from 5.98 per cent to 24.28 per cent.
TRA carried out an Economic Interest Test (EIT) to assess the wider impact of the measures and found that applying tariffs across the entire spectrum could have a negative impact on UK process industries. Industries such as renewable energy, shipbuilding and defense rely in part on wider plates, and the authorities found insufficient evidence of sustainable domestic production in this segment.
The EIT concluded that limiting the measure to narrower plates - between 600mm and 2500mm - would meet the economic interest test as there is evidence of continued production in the category in the UK. As a result, the TRA has chosen to introduce measures only for imports of narrower sheets.
Currently, products fall under codes 7208 5120, 7208 5191, 7208 5198, 7208 5210, 7208 5291, 7208 5299, 7208 9020, 7208 9080, 7210 9030, 7225 4040 and 7225 4060.
