SSI wants AD duties on HR sheet to remain in effect

SSI wants AD duties on HR sheet to remain in effect

Thai steel producer Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) has recently urged the Commerce Ministry to keep anti-dumping duties on hot rolled steel sheet imported from fourteen countries in effect. As previously reported by SteelOrbis, Thailand Commerce Ministry on May 22, 2003 imposed anti-dumping duty order on hot rolled steel sheets imported from Japan, South Africa, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela, Argentina, Ukraine, Algeria, Indonesia, Slovakia and Romania to be effective for five years. (Please click here to see duty rates) However due to raw material shortage and rising prices, the Ministry in March 2004 rescinded the anti-dumping duty orders for a six-month period. Accordingly, the duties would be effective in September 2004. However, Commerce Ministry has recently announced that due to market conditions, the duties may not be restored even after September. Upon this statement, SSI demanded that the Ministry keep the duties in effect, claiming that the removal of the duties would hurt its business. SSI is planning to increase its production capacity from 2.4 million to 4 million tons next year. However, if the government goes ahead with the rescission of the duties, SSI's expansion plans may be harmed and the company may be forced to scale down its expansion plans.