Iron and steel sector faces pressure from dumped imports
KUALA LUMPUR: The iron and steel sector is among the industries most frequently affected by dumped imports, with the government investigating products from six countries and territories to protect local manufacturers from unfair trade practices.
The iron and steel sector in Malaysia is facing pressure from imported goods, prompting the government to investigate products from six countries and territories, including China, Taipei, South Korea, Japan, India, and Vietnam. These imports are primarily intermediate inputs used in production chains, rather than finished consumer products.
The government amended the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act in 2025 and is reviewing regulations introduced in 1994 to ensure trade remedies remain effective. Malaysian total imports rose by 22.4% to RM1.158 trillion from January to August 2026, while imports from China increased by 41.2% to RM308.12 billion, accounting for 21.1% of total imports.
The surge in imports, particularly of intermediate and capital goods, is primarily driving the pressure on the sector. The government continues to monitor import prices and dumping trends and may impose trade remedies like anti-dumping, countervailing, or safeguard duties if investigations determine injury to local industries or an import surge that meets the criteria under domestic laws and WTO rules.
The ministry launched an anti-dumping investigation on August 6 following petitions from local steel manufacturers who claimed unfairly priced imports were harming the domestic industry.
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