Vietnam denies Indonesia's findings on anti-dumping investigation of steel sheets

The Trade Funds Authority of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (TRAV) recently sent a letter refuting Indonesia's draft anti-dumping investigation findings on color-coated steel sheets imported from Vietnam and China.

In the draft conclusions announced by the Indonesian Anti-Dumping Committee (KADI) on July 30, KADI stated that steel sheet imports from Vietnam were flooded by Indonesia, resulting in losses to the domestic steel industry.

Upon hearing this news, TRAV analyzed the KADI documents and discussed the matter with the relevant firms.

TRAV suggested that KADI use data provided by Vietnamese firms that fully cooperated with KADI during the investigation.

The authorities said several of the findings did not yet reflect realities, such as issues related to value added tax and duplication of calculations.

He also suggested that KADI revise the factor-based calculation method in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

TRAV also coordinated with the Vietnam Trade Office in Indonesia to prepare documents and participate in open consultations on the case scheduled for August 18.

Earlier, in July 2014, Indonesia applied global safeguards to cold rolled sheets from Vietnam of 600 mm or more, which significantly impacted Vietnamese businesses as Vietnamese exports accounted for more than 60 percent of Indonesia's total imports of this product.

After more than four years of fighting, by the end of March 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Trade was able to restore the rights of Vietnamese melee weapons factories in the event of Indonesia's global safeguards.

According to the Việt Nam Steel Association (VSA), Vietnamese steel exported to Southeast Asia accounts for 60% of the total export market in the structure of the export market. The rest of the goods are imported from Europe, America, Australia and the Asian-European Economic Union.

However, doors to local steel exports are threatened with narrowing as a number of key export markets such as the US, EU, Australia, some ASEAN countries and the Eurasian Economic Union have initiated trade protection lawsuits.