MEPS’s global steel production and capacity round-up

MEPS’s latest global steel capacity round-up details new antidumping duties in South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom alongside the steelmakers' most recent capacity investments.

Insight into the United States’ steel import tariffs and revisions to the European Commission’s import safeguard measures featured in the keynote articles in MEPS’s March steel market reviews. Consequently, this monthly round-up focuses on steelmakers’ operational developments and other trade defence updates from around the world.

Contact MEPS for details of how to subscribe to European Steel Review, International Steel Review and Stainless Steel Review. The below content was first featured in these monthly publications, which also provide steel prices and indices, market commentaries and six-month steel price forecasts.

Europe

ArcelorMittal  

ArcelorMittal is planning a EUR270 million maintenance programme at its steel plants in France.   

From April 15, 2025, its Dunkirk facility’s blast furnace No. 4 will be idled for 90 days. Upgrades to the site’s iron ore sintering line and a steel converter have also been scheduled. The company confirmed that blast furnace No. 3 will remain operational to reduce the impact on customers.  

Additionally, the currently idled blast furnace No. 1 at Fos-sur-Mer will undergo extensive refurbishment. The furnace is scheduled to resume operations before summer 2026, at which time blast furnace No. 2 – currently the site’s sole working furnace – will be taken offline.  

UK trade defence  

The United Kingdom government has accepted a Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) recommendation to maintain the antidumping measures for imports of corrosion resistant steel from China.   

The antidumping measures will be implemented for a further five years, with the level of duties unchanged at 17.2-27.9%, until February 2028.  

On February 25, the TRA also recommended the extension of antidumping and countervailing measures on Chinese-origin organic coated steel (OCS) for an additional five years, until May 2029.   

The current antidumping duties on Chinese OCS imports range from 5.9% to 26.1% while countervailing duties range from 13.7% to 44.7%, depending on the exporter.  

The TRA has also confirmed that it will review the developing country exemptions within its steel import safeguard measures. The review was launched after the trade body received evidence of changes to import levels from these nations.   

A provisional determination will be made in late March, with any final recommendations due to be published by June 30.  

Arvedi  

Italian steelmaker Arvedi has acquired the AMCLN coil service centre located in Osimo, central Italy.  

Arvedi acquired the business through its subsidiary Centro Siderurgico Industriale, from CLN, a company part owned by ArcelorMittal.  

The transaction is set to take effect from April 1, 2025. CLN, which is facing financial difficulties due to the downturn in the automotive sector, is divesting assets to stabilise its position.  

Asia

Trade Defence – South Korea  

The Korean Trade Commission has recommended that preliminary antidumping duties be applied to Chinese carbon and alloy steel plate, citing significant harm to the domestic industry.   

The proposed duties range from 27.91% to 38.02%, with specific duties applied to Chinese producers Baosteel (27.91%), Jiangsu Shagang (29.62%), Xiangtan Iron and Steel and ITG Holding (38.02%). All other suppliers face a duty of 31.69%. The duties require approval from the Ministry of Economy and Finance before coming into effect.  

The Commission has launched a separate antidumping investigation into hot rolled carbon and alloy coil from China and Japan, following a petition from Hyundai Steel in December 2024. Imports from China and Japan accounted for 96.2% of South Korea’s total hot rolled flat steel imports in 2024. Publication of the investigation’s preliminary findings is expected by June 2025.  

Fushun New Steel  

Construction of two new blast furnaces has started at Fushun New Steel’s existing facility in Liaoning province, China.   

The two furnaces will have a combined annual output of 2.5 million tonnes when commissioned in summer 2026. These units will replace five smaller furnaces, which are currently located at the site, as part of a capacity replacement plan that was approved by local authorities in December 2024.  

Trade Defence: Taiwan  

The Taiwanese Customs Administration has extended its antidumping duties on Chinese and South Korean stainless cold rolled coils for another five years following a sunset review.   

Duty rates will remain at 38.11% for China and 37.65% for South Korea, covering all 300-series coils. In 2024, these two countries were the largest suppliers of stainless cold rolled coils to Taiwan, accounting for over 90% of total imports, with China’s share at 75% and South Korea at 17%. 

Baosteel Desheng  

SMS Group has successfully completed the installation of a Vacuum Oxygen Decarburisation (VOD) system at Baosteel Desheng Stainless Steel’s Fuzhou plant in Fujian province.   

The unit, which has a 120-tonne capacity, can process up to 420,000 tonnes annually. Originally ordered in June 2020, the equipment was commissioned to support Baosteel Desheng’s goal of producing high-purity stainless steel to meet growing demand from the automotive, aerospace, and construction industries. 

Nippon Yakin Kogyo  

Nippon Yakin Kogyo has commissioned a new reversing cold mill at its Kawasaki plant in Japan.   

The new mill replaces two cold rolling mills currently in operation at the site. It can produce coils as thin as 0.2mm, up to 1,350mm wide, with a maximum rolling speed of 1,000 metres per minute.  

Nippon Yakin Kogyo specialises in the production of austenitic stainless steel sheets and high-performance alloy products. 

Jingjiu Stainless Steel and Huafu Stainless Steel  

Jingjiu Stainless Steel and Huafu Stainless Steel have both launched cold rolled stainless steel projects in Naiman Banner, Inner Mongolia.   

Jingjiu is investing USD38.7 million to add eight 950mm cold rolling machines and 12 annealing furnaces by July 2025. This will add 300,000 tonnes of annual rolling capacity.   

Huafu is constructing a 200,000 tonnes per year capacity cold rolling facility, featuring two rolling mills and six annealing lines, following a USD16.7m investment.  

North America

Vinton Steel  

United States rebar producer Vinton Steel has selected equipment manufacturer Tenova to construct a new melt shop at its facility in El Paso, Texas.   

The new facility will include a 45 short ton capacity EAF, alongside a ladle furnace, continuous casting unit and a fully automated material handling system. Construction is expected to start in summer 2025, with commissioning scheduled for quarter one 2027.   

The new equipment will increase the company’s annual production capacity to 400,000 short tons. Vinton Steel is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Kyoei Steel, which acquired the company in 2016.