Insiders at the Korea Iron & Steel Association (KOSA) have revealed that the association is considering whether to decide in favor of an antidumping (AD) investigation against hot rolled coil (HRC) imports from China and Japan. The association is expected to make its decision on the matter by the end of August this year.
HRC imports into South Korean have surged significantly. In the first quarter of 2012, HRC imports into the country totaled 1.4 million mt, rising by 67 percent year on year. Market players worry that the import flows will have a negative impact on the domestic steel industry.