LatinNews Daily - 03 September 2026

*Mexico’s economy ministry (SE) has opened an anti-dumping investigation into imports of hot-rolled steel sheet and plate from Japan, regardless of country of shipment, according to a resolution published in the official gazette (DOF). The probe follows a complaint filed in April by Grupo Acerero, S.A. de C.V., a Mexican steel company, which argued Japanese imports entered Mexico at unfair prices, causing material injury to domestic producers. The investigation covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025, with a damage-analysis period covering 2023-2025. The SE found Japanese imports undercut domestic prices by 15% in 2023, 17% in 2024, and 24% during the investigation period, and undercut prices from other countries by 20%, 29%, and 27% respectively. Import volumes from Japan grew 35-fold over the period analysed, while the domestic industry’s operating margin fell from 4.7% in 2023 to -32.1% in 2025, and return on assets dropped from 7.9% to 3.1% over the same period. Hot-rolled steel plate is already subject to a separate 35% import tariff introduced on 1 January 2026. The SE said it may apply definitive anti-dumping duties retroactively, up to 90 days before any provisional measures take effect. Affected parties have 23 working days from notification to establish legal standing in the case. The resolution was signed by Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard on 21 August and took effect the day after its DOF publication on 2 September.

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