Japan has launched an anti-dumping investigation into hot-dipped galvanized steel wire imports from South Korea and China after the country’s steel product makers formally raised an issue against the cheap products from the neighboring states hurting competitiveness of the local products.

The Japanese finance and trade ministries announced Monday that it will decide whether to impose anti-dumping duties on hot-dipped galvanized steel wires shipped from Korea and China after investigation, which is expected to take about a year to complete.

The probe comes after four Japanese steel product manufacturers lodged a petition in March, alleging that hot-dipped galvanized steel wires from Korea and China, which are as much as 30 percent cheaper than Japanese made products, had prevented them from reflecting the recent surge in raw material prices in the sales prices of their products.

Hot-dipped galvanized steel wires are mainly used for wire nettings such as rock fall barrier fences and nets, crimped wire nets and various barbed wires.

Tokyo currently levies anti-dumping tariffs on potassium hydroxide and steel tube imports from Korea.

Since March, the Japanese government has also temporarily raised import duties on potassium carbonate from Korea to 30.8 percent for four months. It will soon conclude the investigation into potassium carbonate imports from Korea launched in June last year to decide whether to keep a 30.8 percent tariff for the next five years.

By Jin Young-hwa and Lee Soo-min

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