[SMM Shanghai HRC Inventory] Shanghai Inventory Moved Sideways WoW This Week

[SMM Steel] Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) officially initiated an anti-dumping investigation on April 30, 2026 into galvanized steel imports from Vietnam and South Korea. The products under review are zinc-coated flat steel products with thickness ranging from 0.3mm to 3.5mm, in coil or sheet form, with zinc accounting for at least 50% of the coating composition. The case raises the risk of future anti-dumping duties if Australian authorities determine that low-priced imports caused injury to domestic producers. Vietnamese authorities advised exporters to closely monitor the investigation, prepare export pricing and production cost data, and strengthen legal defense strategies as global trade protection measures continue to increase.

[SMM Steel] Global steel and raw material prices continued rising in April 2026, with HRC, billet, scrap, and iron ore prices increasing 6.3–18.9% YoY, while coking coal surged 30.1% YoY. Imported US HMS 1/2 80:20 scrap prices to Vietnam rose 7.1% MoM and 13.8% YoY, while imported HRC prices also increased sharply in late April. In Vietnam, domestic HRC prices increased by around VND 900–988/kg, and coated steel prices continued rising with some mills raising prices 4–5 times during the month due to higher input costs. Against this backdrop, VNSTEEL’s total finished steel consumption in the first four months of 2026 increased 16.9% YoY, with long steel sales rising 30% and metal products growing 37.4%, supported by improving domestic construction and infrastructure demand.

[SMM Steel] A US$125 million joint venture between US and Indian investors will build a metal pipe manufacturing facility in Jordan’s Quweira Industrial Zone, with annual production capacity of 500,000 tons. The plant will mainly supply pipes for Jordan’s National Water Carrier Project and the Risha gas project, including a 450-km desalinated water pipeline from Aqaba to Amman. The project is expected to create around 450 local jobs and also target export markets. Jordan’s water infrastructure plan will use reverse osmosis technology and aims to integrate 30% renewable energy by 2030.