The Japanese government recently announced several developments in anti-dumping investigations and measures.
1. Nickel-Bearing Stainless Steel Cold-Rolled Strips and Sheets originating in China and Taiwan, etc.
On 19 June 2026, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (“METI”) and the Ministry of Finance (“MOF”) made a preliminary determination that the products had been imported into Japan at dumped prices and that the dumped imports had caused material injury to the Japanese domestic industry. On the same date, METI and MOF extended the investigation period by four months, until 21 November 2026, to allow further consideration of the evidence submitted by interested parties.
After the interested parties were given an opportunity to submit evidence and express their views, the MOF’s Council on Customs, Tariff, Foreign Exchange and other Transactions submitted a statement on 23 June 2026 declaring it appropriate to impose anti-dumping duties on the products on a provisional basis. Therefore, from 9 July to 8 November 2026, provisional anti-dumping duties ranging from 3.6% to 42.1% apply to the products imported from China and Taiwan, etc.
2. Dipotassium Carbonate originating in South Korea
dipotassium carbonate from South Korea and the resulting material injury to the Japanese domestic industry were likely to recur if the existing anti-dumping duties expired. After the MOF’s Council on Customs, Tariff, Foreign Exchange and other Transactions submitted a statement on 23 June 2026 declaring it appropriate to extend the duties, the Cabinet approved an order extending the 30.8% anti-dumping duties for five years, until 7 July 2031.
3. Hot-Dipped Galvanized Steel Strips and Sheets originating in South Korea and China
On 24 July 2026, METI and MOF made a preliminary determination that hot-dipped galvanized steel strips and sheets from South Korea and China had been imported into Japan at dumped prices and that the dumped imports had caused material injury to the Japanese domestic industry. On the same date, METI and MOF extended the investigation period by four months, until 12 December 2026, to allow further consideration of the evidence submitted by interested parties.
After the interested parties were given an opportunity to submit evidence and express their views, the MOF’s Council on Customs, Tariff, Foreign Exchange and other Transactions submitted a statement on 30 July 2026 declaring it appropriate to impose anti-dumping duties on the products on a provisional basis. Therefore, from 8 August to 7 December 2026, provisional anti-dumping duties ranging from 29.2% to 55.3% apply to the products imported from South Korea and China.
4. Bisphenol A originating in South Korea and Taiwan, etc.
On 24 July 2026, METI and MOF extended their anti-dumping investigation into bisphenol A from South Korea and Taiwan, etc. by six months, until 19 February 2027, to allow further consideration of the evidence submitted by interested parties.
These developments include the imposition of provisional duties on nickel-bearing stainless steel cold-rolled strips and sheets originating in China and Taiwan, etc., as well as hot-dipped galvanized steel strips and sheets originating in South Korea and China. The investigations into nickel-bearing stainless steel cold-rolled strips and sheets, hot-dipped galvanized steel strips and sheets, and bisphenol A remain ongoing.
