Following an application by a UK producer, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has opened a new investigation into imports of hot-rolled steel plate from South Korea. Hot-rolled steel plates are flat steel products often used in bridge construction, machine manufacturing and shipbuilding.
The investigation is in response to an application by Spartan UK Ltd, which has alleged that imports of these products from South Korea are being dumped into the UK and that these dumped imports are causing injury to the domestic industry.
UK industries concerned about imports have been able to submit applications for a new trade remedy measure since January 2021. These applications are considered by the TRA to see if there are grounds for an investigation. It has calculated in this case that imports of hot-rolled steel plate from South Korea have grown from around 14,000 tonnes in 2021 to more than 40,000 tonnes last year.
If the TRA decides that action is necessary, it will conduct an Economic Interest Test to assess whether the implementation of the remedy is in the UK’s economic interest. Details of this test can be found HERE.
The investigation for this case will consider imports between April 1 2024 and March 31 2025. Interested parties can contribute to this investigation by visiting the TRA’s public file.
