On 30 October, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce agreed four measures with 10 steel industry associations to make anti-dumping and anti-circumvention measures more effective. Earlier, an Assistant Minister of Commerce set out three pillars for combating illicit trade, with tighter supervision in five areas including origin verification and trade remedies.
Steel: Four Directions
The Ministry of Commerce reported on 30 October that Thailand imported 798,584 tonnes of finished structural steel from January to August 2026; capacity utilisation in the steel industry was 34% in the first half, compared with 31% a year earlier. The Ministry and 10 steel associations agreed on four directions:
Make anti-dumping and anti-circumvention measures more effective;
Prevent importers from circumventing existing measures by importing in finished form;
Strengthen management of structural steel imports, balancing fair competition and international obligations;
Strengthen management of scrap steel.
The press release did not name any country.
Combating Illicit Trade: Tighter Supervision in Five Areas
The Ministry of Commerce reported on 25 October that, in a speech on 21 October, the Assistant Minister set out three pillars for combating illicit trade. Thailand ranks 56th among 158 economies in the 2025 Illicit Trade Index. At the national level, the mechanism is the Committee on the Management of Foreign Goods and Illegal Foreign Businesses, chaired by the Minister of Commerce, which links trade regulators, law enforcement and financial institutions. At the implementation level, it includes cracking down on intellectual property infringement, strengthening online monitoring, improving the transparency of business information and strengthening review of online businesses. The five areas of tighter supervision are:
Impact on Manufacturers in Thailand
For businesses that manufacture in Thailand and export, the material sources, processing steps and cost structure behind certificates of origin will be checked in more detail; models that export after simple processing of imported semi-finished goods will face more scrutiny. Whether circumvention exists is determined by the competent authorities and must be assessed case by case.
Key Points
The Ministry of Commerce and 10 steel associations agreed four measures, focusing on anti-dumping and anti-circumvention.
Imports of finished structural steel were 798,584 tonnes from January to August, and capacity utilisation was 34% in the first half.
Supervision is being tightened in five areas, including origin verification, trade remedies and dual-use items.
The press release did not name any country.
Z&X Insight
Export-oriented manufacturers should keep proper records of raw material purchases, production processes and cost accounting, and make sure their origin declarations, BOI raw material reconciliations and financial accounts are consistent with one another. Z&X Annual Finance & Tax Advisory Retainer includes advisory modules such as "Cross-Border Transactions and Pricing" and "Government Supervision and Audit Response", and can provide year-round advice on regulatory changes.
Sources
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