Steel buyers & sellers in Korea & Japan: Japan launches HRC/CRC anti-dumping probe, Busan strikes paralyse logistics, coated CRC duties start June 12. Download Report.

This week, Northeast Asian steel markets absorbed two structural shocks. Japan launched its most sweeping steel anti‑dumping investigation in years, targeting hot‑rolled and cold‑rolled coil from China, South Korea, and Taiwan. At the same time, the triple strike at Busan port — involving rail workers, truckers, and bunker fuel operators — paralysed Korea’s busiest trade gateway, suspended POSCO’s Pohang plant, and reduced container capacity by a third. For procurement managers, these events have transformed the supply landscape in a matter of days. For export sales managers, they have slammed shut some market access windows and cracked open others.

This report covers the full week of June 3–10, 2026, with explicit week‑on‑week comparisons against May 27 – June 3. It does not simply list what happened — it tells you exactly which product categories are about to face new barriers, how to route cargo around a paralysed port, and what the evolving AD architecture means for every major steel specification.

The core value of this report:
Japan’s new HRC/CRC anti‑dumping investigation and Korea’s imminent coated steel duties are systematically closing Northeast Asia’s largest import markets — procurement and sales strategies that do not adapt this month will be locked out for the next five years.

This report includes explicit week‑on‑week price and policy comparisons, a detailed scenario matrix for the Busan strike and Strait of Hormuz, and the expanded anti‑dumping alternative‑sourcing table that tells you exactly which mills can supply which grades under which standards.

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