US imposes preliminary anti-dumping duties of 40-88% on Vietnam's coated steel

Vietnamese companies' galvanized steel products face preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from nearly 40% to over 88%, according to a decision announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on Friday.

The decision followed an anti-dumping investigation into imported coated steel from various economies, including Vietnam. The investigation was initiated in September 2024 after the DOC received a complaint from U.S. steel manufacturers.

Under the decision, the Vietnam-wide entity rate is set at 88.12%. For individual companies, Hoa Sen Group faces a duty of 59%, while Ton Dong A Corporation is subject to 39.84%. Other firms such as China Steel & Nippon Steel Vietnam JSC, Hoa Phat Steel Sheet LLC (part of Hoa Phat Group), and Nam Kim Steel JSC encounter a duty of 49.42%.

Following this preliminary decision, the DOC will issue its final ruling on August 18, with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) expected to deliver its final determination in October 2025.

According to DOC data, the U.S. imported $626 million worth of Vietnamese galvanized steel in 2021, increasing to $751 million in 2022, before dropping to $241 million in 2023.

In addition to the anti-dumping duties, Vietnamese steel companies are also facing an ongoing subsidy investigation by the DOC. The results of this investigation could lead to the imposition of additional countervailing duties on Vietnamese steel exports to the U.S.

In addition to Vietnam, coated steel producers from other economies, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, and the UAE, also face preliminary anti-dumping duties.

However, the rates for most of these countries are lower than those for Vietnam, except for Brazil, which faces a general duty of 118.63%.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will levy a 46% duty on imports from Vietnam, effective from April 9, as part of a new wave of global impositions.

The rate for Vietnam is among the highest, only after Laos (48%) and Madagascar (47%). It is higher than many others like Sri Lanka and Myanmar (44%), Bangladesh (37%), Thailand (36%), mainland China (34%), Taiwan (32%), India (26%), South Korea (25%), Japan and Malaysia (24%), the EU (20%), and the Philippines (17%).