South Korean steelmakers POSCO and Hyundai Steel will raise prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) for April sales, according to Steel Daily.

Prices will increase by approximately 30,000–40,000 won (about $20–27/ton) per ton for major distributors and customers.

POSCO’s previous price hike took place in March, while Hyundai Steel implemented its increase in February–March. Both companies are likely to maintain an upward price trend in the first half of the year due to cost pressures.

Rising prices for hot-rolled steel in the country are driven by anti-dumping measures on imports of these products, a supply shortage, and rising raw material costs (iron ore and coking coal). Prices rose to 860,000 won/t ($570/t) as of the second half of March from 800,000 won ($531/t) at the start of the year. Some suppliers are offering higher prices, and the cost of imported products has also risen sharply.

In line with market expectations, the upward trend in hot-rolled coil prices is expected to continue in the near term.

As a reminder, in September of last year, South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance imposed provisional anti-dumping duties on hot-rolled coils (HRC) made of carbon and alloy steel from China and Japan for a period of four months. The investigation was launched in March 2025 based on a petition filed by Hyundai Steel. The petition alleged that HRC from China and Japan was being sold at dumped prices, causing harm to the domestic industry.