Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce MinisterJurin Laksanawisit recently chaired a meeting of the anti-dumping andcountervailing committee which approved extending the penalties because theprobe showed that dumping continues unabated.
Thailand has imposed anti-dumping tariffsranging from 4.22 percent to 20.11 percent of cost, insurance and freight (CIF)prices since 2014. The penalty period expired in February 2019 but was extendedto February 2020. The latest approval will become effective after February'sexpiry date.
In 2018, the country's total import volume ofcold-reduced carbon steel totalled 1.053 million tonnes (both coiled anduncoiled), a surge from over 892,500 tonnes in the previous year.
Last year, it imported a combined 20,835 tonnesof cold-reduced carbon steel in coils and not in coils from the three markets,including 7,575 tonnes from China, 3,107 tonnes from Vietnam, and 10,152 tonnesfrom Taiwan.
Thailand's domestic consumption for steelproducts is estimated at 19.3 million tonnes a year, of which 12 million tonnesis imported.
Recently, four steel associations called on thegovernment to help promote the use of locally made steel products ininfrastructure development./.