China launched an anti-dumping (AD) probe into grain-oriented flat-rolled electrical steel from Japan, South Korea, and the European Union since the expiry of duty for the last 5 years. China’s Ministry of Commerce said the tariffs will be resumed during the investigation which is due to be finished within a year.

The investigation is following the request in May from China's Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. and unit of Beijing Shougang as they saw the end of this measure would result in further dumping and harm the domestic steel industry.

The duty rate is 39%-45.7% for Japan's steelmakers, including JFE Steel Corp. and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, and the duty rate is 46.3% for EU steelmakers and 37.3% for South Korean companies.