Mexico launches HR steel dumping probe at Ternium's request

Mexico’s Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía) announced the start of the unfair trade investigation on Monday.

Case details

The trade case covers hot-rolled sheet and plate up to 1 inch thick, both pickled and unpickled, whether rolled or unrolled.

The period under investigation in the case is Sept. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2024, while the period of damage analysis is Sept. 1, 2021 to Aug. 31, 2024.

Ternium alleges that Chinese and Vietnamese hot rolled was dumped in the Mexican market at prices 15% below those of the local market and 31% below those of product imported from other countries.

The low-priced imports caused Mexican steel prices to fall, limiting domestic production just a few years after the start-up of two significant investments by Mexican hot rolled producers: Ternium’s $1.1-billion, 4.4-million-short-ton-per-year hot strip mill in Pesqueria, Nuevo Leon, and ArcelorMittal Mexico’s 2.75-million-stpy hot strip mill in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan. Both started operation in 2021.

Ternium is Mexico’s largest hot-rolled steel producer, accounting for 82-84% of the market, according to the Ministry’s calculations.

The country’s other flat-rolled steelmakers, ArcelorMittal Mexico and Grupo Acerero, expressed support for the case, the Ministry said. AHMSA, however, didn’t respond to its requests. The bankrupt company has not produced steel since 2022.

In the petition, Ternium notes the restrictions other countries and trading blocs – the European Union, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the US, and Turkey – have placed on these same products. These include anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and anti-circumvention measures, safeguards, and, in the US, 25% Section 232 tariffs.

Ministry’s position

After considering Ternium’s petition, “There are sufficient indications to support the well-founded probability that in the immediate future imports of hot-rolled steel from China and Vietnam will continue to increase to such an extent that they cause injury to the domestic production industry,” the Ministry stated in the case notice.

It added: Ternium’s request “is accepted and the initiation of the antidumping investigation is declared on imports of hot-rolled steel … originating in China and Vietnam, regardless of the country of origin.”

Interested parties have three weeks to declare their intent to participate in the case.