eport Period: April 15 โ 22, 2026 | Analyst: Amy SteelInsights
๐ Sample Insight: Vietnam’s HRC Market Restructures Overnight
The Event: Vietnam’s 27.83% provisional anti-circumvention duty on Chinese wide-width HRC (1,880โ2,300mm) took effect April 17, 2026.
The Immediate Impact: The price advantage of Chinese material has been erased overnight. In response, Japanese 2mm hot coil offers to Vietnam surged $72/t week-over-week to $640/t CFR, capitalizing on duty-free CPTPP access. This is the steepest single-week increase observed in over 12 months.
Why This Matters for Your Decision-Making:
If you are a Procurement Manager, the landed cost calculation has flipped. Japanese HRC, despite its higher nominal price, is now $31/t cheaper on an all-in basis than duty-paid Chinese wide-width material.
If you are a Sales Manager, this is a clear signal: non-Chinese suppliers can command a significant premium in Vietnam for the next 120 days while this duty window remains open.
๐ฐ Sample Price Benchmark (Week 16 vs. Week 15)
| Product | Market | Current Price (Apr 22) | WoW Change | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRC (SS400) | FOB China (Tianjin) | $488/t | +$5/t | Firming mill sentiment |
| HRC (Japanese) | CFR Vietnam | $640/t | +$72/t | Vietnam duty shock premium |
| Billet (5SP) | CFR Southeast Asia | $495/t | Unchanged | Consolidation after surge |
| Slab | CFR Southeast Asia | $500โ540/t | Upper +$40/t | Iran supply vacuum beneficiary |
Source: Mysteel, SMM, SEAISI, Industry Data
๐ข Sample Logistics Alert: Port Congestion Reality
Southeast Asia remains a global congestion hotspot. Jakarta (Tanjung Priok) continues to see severe waiting times of 13.4 days. While Manila has improved, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) hit a 9-month high of 2,640, adding significant freight cost pressure to all CFR quotes. Vessel diversions from the Middle East continue to absorb regional capacity.
๐ก Sample Actionable Advice
For Procurement Managers:
- Do not wait for a billet price correction.ย Iran’s 13-15 million tpy capacity loss is structural. Secure Q2 billet and slab allocations at current levels before Chinese mill order books extend further into June.
For Sales Managers:
- Aggressively target Vietnam with non-Chinese HRC.ย With the 27.83% duty wall up for 120 days, Japanese and Korean mills have a clear window to capture market share at premium pricing.
๐ฅ Want the Full Report?
This sample is just the surface. The full Southeast Asia Steel Weekly Report includes complete CFR price tables for all five major ASEAN markets, detailed trade remedy compliance updates, in-depth currency impact models, and specific “Buy/Sell/Hold” signals.
๐ง Questions or Custom Data Requests?
Contact Amy SteelInsights at amy@amyinsights.com