Analysis
April 2, 2026
US mills target coated imports in another circumvention inquiry
Written by Laura Miller
The US Commerce Department has launched another duty circumvention inquiry targeting coated steel imports at the request of two domestic mills, according to a Federal Register filing.
Nucor and Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) requested the investigation, alleging that CORE from Thailand made using Korean components is circumventing US anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVDs) on CORE from Korea.
Nucor and SDI also recently asked Commerce to investigate whether CORE completed in Indonesia using Vietnamese and Chinese cold-rolled steel is circumventing AD/CVDs on CORE from Vietnam.
Commerce intends to make preliminary circumvention determinations by the end of August.
With a significant amount of new domestic galvanizing capacity coming online, American steelmakers have CORE imports in their crosshairs. A major trade case was finalized last year, resulting in hefty AD/CVD fines for CORE imports, mainly galvanized and Galvalume, from 10 countries.
