Japan: provisional anti-dumping duties of 29.2% to 55.3% on Chinese and Korean galvanised steel

On 24 July 2026, METI and the Ministry of Finance published their preliminary determination in the anti-dumping investigation opened into hot-dip galvanised steel sheets and coils originating in China and South Korea, following a complaint from Japan's leading steelmakers. The two ministries found that these imports were being sold below their normal value and were causing injury to domestic production.

Provisional anti-dumping duties, ranging from 29.2% to 55.3% depending on the exporter and origin, were applied from 8 August to 7 December 2026. The investigation period was then extended by four months, to 12 December 2026, to allow for a full review of the evidence submitted by interested parties before the final determination.

This procedure is part of a series of anti-dumping checks opened by Japan on several categories of flat steel: a separate investigation into nickel stainless steel strip and sheet originating in China and Taiwan has already resulted in provisional duties of 3.6% to 42.1% from 9 July to 8 November 2026, and a third investigation has targeted Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese hot-rolled steel since 1 June 2026.

This affects Japanese importers of hot-dip galvanised steel used notably in the automotive, household appliance and construction sectors, who already need to factor the provisional surtax into their costs while awaiting the final decision expected in December 2026.