In May 2025 alone, Vietnam saw a sudden spike in the import of wide-width hot-rolled coil (HRC) steel from China, reaching 181,000 tons—an astonishing 25-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
Chinese Wide-Width HRC: Prices Down, Volumes Up
According to data from the General Department of Customs, wide-width steel (2,000mm) now accounts for 86.7% of total HRC imports in the first five months of 2025. Cumulatively, imports of this type have reached 430,000 tons—12 times higher than the same period last year. These are mostly 2,000mm-wide coils that are not subject to anti-dumping duties.
The imported steel includes commonly used grades such as Q235B, Q355B, SAE 1006, SS400, and A36, primarily used in the production of galvanized sheets, steel pipes, and structural construction—similar to regular HRC that is currently under anti-dumping tariffs.
The average import price in May was $534 per ton, down 6% year-on-year.
Industry players point out the paradox: prices are falling, yet import volumes are surging—especially at a time when the domestic steel market is grappling with anti-dumping duties. The sharp rise in wide-width HRC imports from China has raised concerns among Vietnamese manufacturers about potential circumvention of trade defense measures and unfair competition.
Concerns over Loopholes at the Width Threshold
On February 21, 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade imposed temporary anti-dumping duties on certain hot-rolled steel products from China and India, specifically those with a width of 1,880mm or less.
Immediately after, the market observed a noticeable shift towards importing HRC with widths ranging from 1,900mm to 2,000mm—just enough to escape the duty while maintaining the same characteristics, uses, and distribution channels.
According to the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, there has been a sharp increase in the import of wide-width steel from China recently. These products are not within the scope of the current anti-dumping investigation and duties under Decision No. 460/QĐ-BCT issued in February 2025.
As stipulated in Articles 73 and 78 of Decree No. 10/2018/NĐ-CP, and most recently Decree No. 86/2025/NĐ-CP, any intentional modification of product specifications to circumvent trade defense measures is considered a legal violation.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has sent an official request to the General Department of Customs to tighten monitoring and inspection of HRC steel products with a width greater than 1,880mm, to prevent misreporting or regulatory evasion.
Experts warn that without timely intervention, the trend of importing wide-width steel from China could soon extend to coils wider than 2,000mm, further undermining the effectiveness of existing anti-dumping policies designed to protect domestic production.
Source: tuoitre.vn