In just the first five months of this year, Vietnam imported 430,000 tons of wide-format hot-rolled coil (HRC) steel measuring 1,900mm or more from China-12 times higher than the same period last year.

Recently, there has been a notable spike in imports of wide-format HRC steel (widths of 1,900mm and above) from China into Vietnam.

According to customs data, in May alone, imports of this steel type reached 181,000 tons-over 25 times higher than in May 2024 (6,831 tons).

Meanwhile, the average import price of wide-format HRC steel in May was USD 534 per ton, a 6% drop compared to May 2024.

Cumulatively over the first five months of this year, Vietnam imported 430,000 tons of wide-format HRC steel from China, up 12-fold year-on-year. Of this, steel with a width of 2,000mm accounted for 86.7% of total imports.

This wide-format HRC steel from China mostly consists of common steel grades such as Q235B, Q355B, SAE 1006, SS400, and A36. It is imported for general uses, including the production of corrugated iron, steel pipes, and structural fabrication.

This abnormal surge in import volumes points to a clear sign of attempts to circumvent the temporary anti-dumping duties imposed on hot-rolled steel products imported from China, which took effect in February 2025.

In a related development, on July 26, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade officially initiated an anti-dumping investigation against certain hot-rolled steel products originating from India and China.

On February 21, 2025, the Ministry issued a decision to apply temporary anti-dumping duties on some hot-rolled steel products from China. The taxed goods include various alloy or non-alloy flat-rolled steel products, hot-rolled, with thicknesses from 1.2 to 25.4 mm and widths not exceeding 1,880 mm, in a non-further-processed state beyond hot-rolling.

Since the Trade Remedies Authority initiated the investigation, there has been a growing shift toward importing steel with widths between 1,900mm and 2,000mm from China.

On June 19, a representative from the Trade Remedies Authority noted the marked increase in wide-format HRC steel imports to Vietnam. These products fall outside the scope of the temporary anti-dumping investigation and duties imposed in February.

The official also stated that the Authority had submitted a proposal to the Customs Department to strengthen monitoring of steel imports with widths exceeding 1,880 mm, ensuring accurate declarations and preventing fraudulent practices.

Experts warn that if not addressed promptly, the import trend could extend to steel widths beyond 2,000mm being brought in and used as standard hot-rolled steel.

Tax evasion practices not only undermine the effectiveness of anti-dumping measures but also distort the competitive landscape, pose a risk of systemic trade fraud, and directly harm domestic manufacturers.

Hanh Nguyen