Thailand's Department of Foreign Trade has initiated an anti-circumvention investigation into certain coated steel products from China, based on a request submitted by a local alloy-coated steel industry association, which alleged that ten Chinese producers are evading existing anti-dumping (AD) duties on hot-dip galvanized cold-rolled steel products.

These Chinese companies are accused of adding aluminum and magnesium to the coating, slightly modifying the product to bypass AD duties, which currently range from 3.05% to 37.54%.

The investigation will determine if the existing AD duties should be extended to cover the zinc, aluminum, and magnesium-coated products.

The products involved in this case are hot-dip galvanized steel sheet with aluminum and magnesium alloy in coils and not in coils, classified under HS codes 7210.49.14.081, 7210.49.14.082, 7210.49.14.083, 7210.49.14.090, 7210.49.15.081, 7210.49.15.090, 7210.49.16.081, 7210.49.16.090, 7210.49.91.000, 7210.49.99.000, 7212.30.11.081, 7212.30.11.090, 7212.30.12.081, 7212.30.12.090, 7212.30.13.081, 7212.30.13.090, 7212.30.19.051, 7212.30.19.090, 7212.30.90.000, 7225.92.20.081, 7225.92.20.082, 7225.92.20.083, 7225.92.20.084, 7225.92.20.085, 7225.92.20.090, 7226.99.11.030, 7226.99.11.090, 7226.99.91.030, and 7226.99.91.090.