SEAISI: Apparent Steel Consumption in ASEAN Region Rose 7.6% in 2012
04/09/2013 - According to the South East Asia Iron & Steel Institute (SEASI), apparent steel consumption in the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) is estimated to have surged by 7.6% y-o-y to 56.4 million tonnes in 2012.
According to the South East Asia Iron & Steel Institute (SEASI), apparent steel consumption in the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) is estimated to have surged by 7.6% y-o-y to 56.4 million tonnes in 2012. Thailand registered the highest growth rate of 13.9% y-o-y, followed by Vietnam at 9.9%, and Indonesia at 8.8%. Malaysia and Philippines both registered marginal increases in steel demand of 1.7% and 2.2%, respectively, while steel demand in Singapore declined by 4.9% y-o-y.
Production in the region is estimated to have declined slightly, by 2% y-o-y, to 25.5 million tonnes in 2012 as a result of a decline in steel output in most of the countries in the region, except the Philippines. Imports surged significantly, by 8% y-o-y, to 36.9 million tonnes in 2012.
Half of the semi-finished steel imported into the region was from Russia, the volume of which surged by a million tonnes in 2012, followed by imports from Ukraine. Imports of long steel from China increased by at least two fold in 2012. Imports of sections from China, the largest source of the product, increased significantly, by 70% y-o-y. Imports of bar and wire rod from China surged by more than two folds to above a million tonnes in 2012.
The major source of hot rolled plate imported into the region was China. However, the volume rose moderately, by 3%, to the million tonnes level. Imports from Japan surged by 10% to reach 800,000 tonnes. Japan was the largest source of imported hot rolled coil, accounting for 40% of total imports of the product into the region. This was followed by imports from South Korea and China. Imports from Japan and South Korea surged by 15% and 8% y-o-y, respectively, while imports from China increased by 45% y-o-y.
Imports of cold rolled coil from Japan, the largest source of CRC in the region, showed a moderate decline of 7% y-o-y. Imports from China soared by 20%. As for coated steel imports, Japan was again the largest source of imports. The volume, however, remained virtually unchanged year-on-year. On the other hand, imports from China rose significantly, by 40% y-o-y, making the volumes almost even with those from Japan.
Exports from the region were estimated to have declined by 22% y-o-y to 6 million tonnes in 2012. All the countries except Singapore registered declines in the volume of steel exports. Malaysia's steel exports are estimated to have dropped by half to around 700,000 tonnes in 2012. Vietnam's exports also decreased by 32% y-o-y to less than a million tonnes in 2012, while Indonesia registered a moderate decline of 7% y-o-y. Meanwhile, Thailand's steel exports stagnated at 1.2 million tonnes.
Note: The above report is based on preliminary data gathered by SEAISI and can be found at www.seaisi.org.
