The Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued a decision to apply anti-circumvention measures on certain hot rolled coil steel imports from China.
The measure will take effect 15 days after April 2. A temporary tariff of 27.83 per cent will be applied to hot rolled coil steel products with a width of 1,880 to 2,300mm.
Imported hot-rolled steel (Photo: Reuters).
The decision follows an investigation conducted in line with Vietnam’s trade remedy regulations, which authorities said was carried out in an objective and transparent manner.
Preliminary findings indicate that some companies may have attempted to circumvent existing trade defence measures by making minor changes to product characteristics.
Specifically, steel products with widths between 1,880mm and 2,300mm continued to enter Vietnam, affecting domestic manufacturers.
Customs data show imports of these products surged significantly, particularly after the Ministry’s Decision 1959 came into force, undermining the effectiveness of existing anti-dumping measures.
In response, the ministry has introduced temporary anti-circumvention measures to curb rising imports and protect domestic production. It said it would continue working with relevant parties to gather and verify information before reaching a final conclusion.
Earlier, Hoa Phat Group and Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation submitted petitions to the ministry, citing signs of anti-dumping duty evasion and calling for an expansion of tariff coverage. Their applications were validated in September 2025, and an official investigation was launched on October 27, 2025.
The move follows a sharp increase in imports, with Vietnam bringing in nearly 650,000 tonnes of wide hot rolled coil steel from China in the first six months of 2025, around 15 times higher than the same period a year earlier, placing significant competitive pressure on domestic producers.