A Taiwan Ministry of Finance (MOF) official reply to the International Steel Management Society of Kaohsiung (ISMSK) revealed that no formal anti-dumping petition against Chinese and South Korean cold-rolled steel imports was submitted as of April 15. This disclosure indicates a later timeline than the market previously anticipated, meaning substantial review processes had not yet commenced by mid-April.

Therefore, downstream processors and single-rolling mills are reassessing their purchasing strategies. Based on the timeline of a separate electrical steel case, which began its investigation in December last year and resulted in provisional duties starting June 8, 2026, buyers estimate that a cold-rolled steel preliminary determination might not arrive until September or October.

This projected delay encourages local manufacturers to consider placing low-priced import orders through July and August despite retrospective tax risks, utilizing the extended safe window to mitigate high domestic steel costs.