The Foreign Trade Department is conducting an anti-dumping investigation of imports of aluminium extrusions from China.
Caretaker Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the probe was prompted by complaints from local steel manufacturers that the surge in imports harmed domestic production.
Mr Phumtham has instructed agencies supervised by the ministry to introduce a series of policies and measures to address the influx of Chinese goods into Thailand, said a ministry source who requested anonymity.
The Commerce Ministry is pursuing trade remedies against imports that threaten domestic industries, such as anti-dumping actions, countervailing duty measures, and safeguard actions.
Anti-dumping actions in Thailand mostly consist of the collection of anti-dumping duties and a higher customs tax rate on steel products imported from China, Taiwan, Japan, the EU, South Korea and Vietnam.
The Anti-dumping and Countervailing Committee chaired by Mr Phumtham announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the anti-dumping investigation of aluminium extrusions from China.
The investigation period is estimated to last nine months.
If the investigation determines dumping did occur, the ministry will impose an anti-dumping duty on the imports for five years, after which the measures will be reviewed.
If the dumping persists after the initial five years, the duties will be levied for another five years, according to the regulations.
Since 2023, Thailand has imposed anti-dumping duties in 20 cases, mostly concerning steel products, to protect local steel operators and shield against the impact of the US-China trade war.
"With the trade war happening, local steel operators are concerned about Chinese steel products being dumped in Thailand and Southeast Asia as China seeks other markets to offset declining steel exports to the US after tariffs were imposed," said Mr Phumtham.
Apart from the 20 cases where duties were imposed, the Thai government is still considering extending the anti-dumping duty on cold-reduced carbon steel, both coiled and uncoiled, from China, as well as hot-rolled steel sheet and steel tubes and pipe from China, South Korea and Taiwan.
