Government/Policy
June 30, 2025
Commerce launches probe into unfairly traded rebar imports
Written by Laura Miller
The US government is moving on trade petitions filed earlier this month by a coalition of domestic steel producers. The Department of Commerce has officially initiated unfair trade investigations into rebar imports from Algeria, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Vietnam.
The Rebar Trade Action Coalition (RTAC) filed the petitions on June 4. They asked for relief from allegedly dumped and subsidized rebar imports in the form of anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs).
RTAC, comprising Nucor, Steel Dynamics Inc., CMC, Gerdau, Byer Steel, and Optimus Steel, claims imports from these countries are hurting their industry and threatening their businesses.
After reviewing the petitions, Commerce determined there was sufficient evidence to warrant AD and CVD investigations. It officially initiated both on June 24.
The AD portion will investigate rebar imports allegedly sold at less-than-fair value by Algeria, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Vietnam.
Bulgaria is spared from the subsidy investigations; the CVD portion will examine illegal government subsidies received by rebar producers in Algeria, Egypt, and Vietnam.
Case timeline
SMU has calculated the trade case’s timeline to be as follows. Remember that there are often delays and postponements in trade investigations, so these dates could change.
| Rebar trade case timeline | Date |
|---|---|
| Petitions filed | June 4, 2025 |
| DOC case initiation | June 24, 2025 |
| ITC preliminary injury determination | July 21, 2025 |
| DOC issues preliminary CVD margins | Aug. 28, 2025 |
| DOC issues preliminary AD margins | Nov. 11, 2025 |
| DOC issues final CVD margins | Nov. 11, 2025 |
| ITC final injury determination – CVD | Dec. 26, 2025 |
| DOC issues final AD margins | Jan. 26, 2026 |
| ITC makes final injury ruling – AD | Mar. 11, 2026 |
The timeline will be pushed out if the AD and CVD portions of the cases are aligned and maximum extensions are granted. In that case, we would expect initial margin decisions by the end of 2025. We’d then see final margins by the end of May and a final injury ruling in July next year.
Import levels
The chart below shows the rebar import levels from the targeted countries and how they’ve grown in recent years. It is taken from RTAC’s trade petition and cites US government data.
