South Korea Imposes 33.67% Temporary Tariff On Galvanized Cold-rolled Steel From China
Jun 15, 2026
On June 12, 2026, the Ministry of Planning and Budget in South Korea issued Announcement No. 2026-80, imposing a four-month provisional anti-dumping duty ranging from 22.34% to 33.67% on cold-rolled products of carbon steel or alloy steel surface-treated with zinc or zinc alloys originating from China, effective from June 12, 2026, to October 11, 2026.
China exports a large quantity of galvanized steel coils to South Korea annually, primarily for use in construction, household appliances, automobile manufacturing, and other industries.
China exports galvanized steel coils to as many as 211 countries and regions, with South Korea consistently ranking among the top three, underscoring its status as a core export market for China's galvanized products.
According to customs data, China's exports of galvanized steel coils to South Korea in 2025 were approximately 1.4816 million tons, a decrease of about 10.96% compared to 1.6642 million tons in 2024.
From April 2025 to April 2026, South Korea ranked third among the major destinations for China's coated sheet and strip exports, with a total volume of 1.6425 million tons, accounting for approximately 8.5% of the total exports.
The volume of coated steel coil exports from China to South Korea accounts for approximately 6.90% to 10.55% of the total exports.
The unit price for exports to South Korea is approximately $597 per ton. Based on this calculation, the total export value from April 2025 to April 2026 is estimated at around $980 million (approximately 6.6 billion RMB).
As one of China's key export markets for galvanized steel coils, South Korea maintains strong price competitiveness and supply chain dependency for Chinese galvanized products despite facing anti-dumping pressures.
Overall, the imposition of temporary anti-dumping duties on Chinese galvanized steel sheets by South Korea has provided domestic exporters with a brief adjustment window while also signaling profound changes in the medium-to-long-term export landscape.
Products subject to taxation include cold-rolled plates and coils of iron, carbon steel, and other alloy steels with thickness less than 4.75 millimeters, coated with zinc, zinc-aluminum, or zinc-aluminum-manganese, including corrugated products, painted, varnished, and plastic-coated products, but excluding electro-galvanized coatings and alloy galvanized products made through annealing treatment.
According to South Korean media reports, the Korea Trade Commission officially initiated an anti-dumping investigation on galvanized cold-rolled steel originating from China on November 28, 2025.
China exports a large quantity of galvanized steel coils to South Korea annually, primarily for use in construction, household appliances, automobile manufacturing, and other industries.
China exports galvanized steel coils to as many as 211 countries and regions, with South Korea consistently ranking among the top three, underscoring its status as a core export market for China's galvanized products.
According to customs data, China's exports of galvanized steel coils to South Korea in 2025 were approximately 1.4816 million tons, a decrease of about 10.96% compared to 1.6642 million tons in 2024.
From April 2025 to April 2026, South Korea ranked third among the major destinations for China's coated sheet and strip exports, with a total volume of 1.6425 million tons, accounting for approximately 8.5% of the total exports.
The volume of coated steel coil exports from China to South Korea accounts for approximately 6.90% to 10.55% of the total exports.
The unit price for exports to South Korea is approximately $597 per ton. Based on this calculation, the total export value from April 2025 to April 2026 is estimated at around $980 million (approximately 6.6 billion RMB).
As one of China's key export markets for galvanized steel coils, South Korea maintains strong price competitiveness and supply chain dependency for Chinese galvanized products despite facing anti-dumping pressures.
Overall, the imposition of temporary anti-dumping duties on Chinese galvanized steel sheets by South Korea has provided domestic exporters with a brief adjustment window while also signaling profound changes in the medium-to-long-term export landscape.
