US Snoops on Korean Steel Dodging Duties Through Thailand
Published Date: 4/2/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Department of Commerce is checking if certain corrosion-resistant steel products made in Korea but finished in Thailand are sneaking around existing trade rules. This affects steel companies like Nucor and Steel Dynamics, who want these products to face the same duties as Korean steel. The inquiry started April 2, 2026, and could lead to new duties that impact prices and imports.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Countrywide Inquiry on Korean Steel Finished in Thailand
On April 2, 2026, Commerce began a country-wide circumvention inquiry to decide whether corrosion-resistant steel completed in Thailand using components made in Korea is circumventing existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Korean CORE. The inquiry will determine whether those Thailand-completed products should be included within the scope of the Orders.
Suspension of Liquidation and Cash Deposit Rule
Commerce notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection to continue the suspension of liquidation for entries already under suspension and to apply the cash deposit rate that would apply if the Thailand-completed products were determined to be covered by the Orders. This direction accompanies the initiation of the inquiry dated April 2, 2026.
Questionnaires, CBP Data, and Potential Adverse Findings
Commerce intends to issue questionnaires to producers and exporters in Thailand and will use U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data to select respondents; Commerce will place the CBP data on the record within five days of this notice and requests comments within seven days after that placement. The notice warns that a company's failure to fully respond may result in the use of partial or total facts available under section 776(a), including adverse inferences under section 776(b).
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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