Seoul
South Korea’s trade watchdog has proposed imposing anti-dumping tariffs of up to 43.6 percent on industrial robots imported from China and Japan. The Korea Trade Commission (KTC) announced the preliminary decision on Thursday, citing possible harm to the domestic robotics industry.
The proposal targets robots with at least four axes from major foreign producers. The KTC investigation focused on Japanese firms Fanuc Corp. and Yaskawa Electric Corp., along with Chinese makers Kuka Robotics Guangdong, ABB Engineering Shanghai, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The probe was launched after a complaint by HD Hyundai Robotics, part of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
If approved, the Ministry of Economy and Finance will enforce tariffs ranging between 21.17 and 43.6 percent while the KTC continues its formal investigation. Officials said the move is designed to protect South Korean companies from unfair competition caused by underpriced imports.
In separate cases, the commission also recommended anti-dumping tariffs of 11.92 to 19.43 percent on fiberboard imports from Thailand. It finalized duties of up to 33.97 percent on sodium dithionite from China and 15.18 percent on particleboard from Thailand.
Last month, the KTC accepted proposals from several Chinese steel exporters, including Baoshan Iron & Steel and Jiangsu Shagang Steel, to raise export prices of hot-rolled steel plates over five years as an anti-dumping remedy. For other Chinese firms that did not agree, the commission recommended tariffs of up to 34.1 percent.
These measures reflect South Korea’s broader efforts to safeguard local industries from market disruptions caused by low-cost imports while ensuring fair trade practices.
