[SMM Steel] Vietnam Steel Prices Expected to Rise Ahead of Peak Season; H-Beam AD Duty Cut
[Vietnam] Vietnam’s steel market remained relatively stable, with construction steel prices ranging from 529–579 USD/tonne EXW, equivalent to around 531 USD/tonne EXW, while HRC prices stood at approximately 515–522 USD/tonne CFR Ho Chi Minh City. Market participants are adopting a wait-and-see approach as major mills are expected to announce new prices this week ahead of the September 2 Independence Day holiday, providing a clearer signal for near-term price direction. Steel prices are expected to rise as September–December enters the traditional peak consumption season and import costs increase. However, buyers remain cautious during the seventh lunar month, while some large distributors have lowered prices to stimulate sales. Existing mill support policies continue to offer spot-market discounts of around 3.8–7.7 USD/tonne, depending on purchase volume. Meanwhile, Vietnam has reduced the anti-dumping duty on H-shaped steel from China supplied by the Jinxi group to 6.78%, down from the previous 13.38%, following the third review. The lower duty could improve the competitiveness of Jinxi’s H-beam imports and increase competition for domestic producers.