Posted on 16 Nov 2021
Finished steel import in ASEAN-6 countries increased moderately, by 6.8% y-o-y to 25.2 million tonnes in the first half of 2021. However, total finished steel export in the region expanded 20.4% y-o-y to 11.5 million tonnes in the same period of 2021.
Long steel import in the six countries in ASEAN declined 8% y-o-y to 6.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2021. Import of most long products dropped by double digit growth rates, except wire rod, which surged 16% y-o-y in the same period. The major source of wire rod import in the six countries in ASEAN is China. The import volume surged significantly from 729,081 tonnes in the first half of 2020 to 1.05 million tonnes in the same period of 2021.
Flat steel import in the region increased 12.6% y-o-y to 19 million tonnes in the first half of 2021. Import of most products registered positive growth rates, except plates. Plates import dropped 10.5% y-o-y to 1.4 million tonnes.
Import of hot rolled coil increased 9.4% y-o-y to 8.3 million tonnes in the first half of 2021. China has overtaken Japan to be the largest source of HRC import in the region, with an increase of import volume from 1.3 million tonnes in the first half of 2020 to 2.9 million tonnes in the same period of 2021. Import from Japan registered 2.5 million tonnes, an increase of 25% y-o-y.
Import of cold rolled coil surged 21.4% y-o-y to 2.8 million tonnes. The largest source of import remained from Japan and the volume increased 23% y-o-y to 1.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2021, followed import from China, which rose by 34% y-o-y to 604,280 tonnes in the same period of 2021.
Coated sheet import in the region increased by a million tonnes to 5.4 million tonnes in the same period. Import of galvanized sheet surged 18.3% y-o-y to 2.8 million tonnes. Half of the import was from China, followed by the import from Japan.
Import of Zn-Al sheet nearly doubled in volume to 417,294 tonnes in the same period. 70% of the import was from China and the volume nearly double in the first half of 2021. This could be the increase in demand from construction sector, especially in Indonesia and Philippines.
Color coated sheet import picked up to a million tonnes and other coated sheet import double in volume to 622,877 tonnes in the first half of 2021. This could be a significant increase in demand from construction sector. China was the largest source of the imports, at around 85% of both imports.
Both long steel export and flat steel export in the six countries in ASEAN registered double digit growth rates in the first half of 2021. Long steel export increased 15.5% y-o-y to 6.2 million tonnes while flat steel export jumped 26.7% y-o-y to 5.3 million tonnes. Export of bar increased by a million tonnes to 3.5 million tonnes from January to June 2021, 80% of which was the export from Malaysia and major destination was to China.
ASEAN-6’s export of hot rolled plates dropped significantly, by 29% y-o-y to 497,142 tonnes in the first half of 2021. Export of hot rolled coil, on the other hand, jumped 38% y-o-y to 1.7 million tonnes. Nearly half of the export was intra-ASEAN trade, followed by export to Taiwan and Italy.
Export of cold rolled coil expanded 24% y-o-y to nearly a million tonnes in the first six months of 2021.
Coated sheet export in the region doubled in volume to 1.3 million tonnes in the first half of 2021. Galvanized sheet export, at half a million tonnes, was an increase of 123% y-o-y. Half of the export volume was intra-ASEAN trade, followed by export to Belgium.
Export of Zn-Al sheet doubled in volume to 342,824 tonnes in the first half of 2021. Major markets for ASEAN-6 export of Zn-Al were north America, Belgium and within ASEAN itself.
Export of color coated sheet and other coated sheet increased by more than 50% y-o-y growth rates. Major market for color coated sheet export were intra-ASEAN trade, followed by North America and India.
Major markets for ASEAN-6 other coated sheet export were within ASEAN itself, a 76% of total export, especially export to Malaysia.
See more details on ASEAN-6 half year 2021 trade information at the 2021 SEAISI Sustainability & Construction Fortnight e-Event, which will be presented on Tuesday 23 November 2021.
Source:SEAISI
