[India Tightens Local Sourcing Requirements for Steel Used in Government Procurement]

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has lowered the anti-dumping duty on H-shaped steel from China supplied by Hebei Jinxi Section Steel and related companies to 6.78%, following the third review of the existing measures. The new rate, effective from September 4, 2026 to September 5, 2027, is significantly below the previous 13.38% rate. The adjustment could improve the price competitiveness of Jinxi’s H-beam exports to Vietnam and potentially increase import competition for domestic producers, while other Chinese suppliers remain subject to their existing anti-dumping rates.

Cleveland-Cliffs announced it will match a $500 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, raising total investment in its Middletown Works facility in Ohio to $1 billion. The expanded project retains the original plan to replace the existing blast furnace with a hydrogen-ready direct reduced iron (DRI) plant and two electric melting furnaces, while adding a new cogeneration facility to capture blast furnace gas and convert it into electricity and steam for on-site use. The rebuild is expected to create over 1,500 jobs, including local union building trades, with completion targeted for Q1 2030. Middletown Works currently produces about 3 million tons of raw steel annually, focused on automotive-grade steel for exposed body panels.

Tata Steel's Llanwern galvanizing plant in south Wales is running at roughly half capacity, with production lines going idle for parts of the day as orders fall short, driven by a surge of cheap steel from Asia. New 50% UK import tariffs introduced in July were meant to protect domestic producers, but expanded tariff-free quotas have blunted the effect for galvanized steel: India's allowance rose from 98,000 to 125,000 tonnes, Vietnam's more than tripled to 174,000 tonnes, and South Korea received a new 100,000-tonne quota. Llanwern produces about 600,000 tonnes of galvanized steel annually, nearly half of UK demand, and Tata says the situation "isn't sustainable," warning it could also affect its £1.25bn electric arc furnace transition at Port Talbot. The UK government says it will review the quota system after 12 months.