Japan Adds to Steel Scrutiny With Probes on China, Taiwan, Korea

Japan has launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of key steel products shipped from China, South Korea and Taiwan, adding to signs of trade stress in a sector suffering from global overcapacity.

The anti-dumping investigation will target imports of coil, strip and sheet in hot-rolled or cold-rolled form, Japan’s trade and finance ministries said in statements on Monday. The probe was requested by major Japanese producers including Nippon Steel Corp. and JFE Steel Corp. and comes as many countries resort to steel protectionism.

“In Japan as well, the need for appropriate trade remedy measures has become increasingly urgent,” Masayuki Hirose, ...