Australia probes Vietnamese steel exporters for dumping

By Dat Nguyen July 16, 2020 | 09:50 pm PT

A worker arranges steel rolls in a factory in the southern province of An Giang. Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Dong.

Australia has initiated an investigation into Vietnamese coated steel for dumping and subsidization between April last year and March this year.

It follows an application by Australian company BlueScope Steel Limited, according to a statement from Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC).

The application alleged that the goods, aluminum zinc coated steel of 600 millimeters width or more, have been exported from Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan at less than their normal prices.

It also said that the products from Vietnam received countervailable subsidies. This has undercut Australian steel and reduced profits for manufactures there, the application said.

Vietnamese exporters are invited to complete a questionnaire and submit revelation information to Australia by August 6, and have been advised by trade authorities to comply.

In 2018 the ADC concluded a year-long investigation into steel producer Hoa Phat Group for dumping but found no evidence for it.

The U.S. in May launched an investigation to determine if Chinese steel sheets and strips were completed and exported from Vietnam to circumvent its duties.