Indonesia steel import from China during January to September up by 8 percent YoY

14-Jan-2019

Indonesia’s total steel import registered 5.8 million tonnes from January to September 2018, an increase of 8% YoY. Approximately 2 million tonnes constituted import from China, an increase of 19% YoY. Import of semi-finished steel declined significantly, by 71% YoY to nearly 200,000 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018. Import of section and bar from China registered positive growth rates of 10% YoY and 17% YoY to 110,851 tonnes and 120,707 tonnes, respectively, from January to September 2018. Import of wire rod from China declined slightly, by 1.7% YoY, to 335,480 tonnes in the same period.

Indonesia’s import of most of flat steel products continued to increase significantly in the first nine months of 2018, except import of hot rolled coil. Indonesia’s import of hot rolled coil from China dropped 22% YoY from 434,838 tonnes in the first nine months of 2017 to 340,168 tonnes in the same period of 2018. Import volume of plates from China was not significant, but the volume increased by a double digit of 38% YoY to 53,241 tonnes.

Import of cold rolled coil from China doubled in volume in 2017 and continued to increase by nearly two-folds in the first nine months in 2018, totalling 181,716 tonnes. Import of hot dipped galvanized sheet from China also began to increase significantly in 2017 and continued to surge by 46% YoY to 100,892 tonnes from January to September 2018.

Indonesia’s import of electro galvanized sheet, on the other hand, declined substantially, starting from 2017. The volume continued to decline 23% YoY to 3,913 tonnes in the first nine month of 2018. On the other hand, tin plate import from China rose 8.6% YoY to 8,572 tonnes from January to September 2018. Import of tin free sheet registered a higher volume, at 22,199 tonnes in the same period, a double-digit growth rate of 46% YoY.

Zn-Al sheet import from China dropped sharply, from 24,438 tonnes in the first nine months of 2017 to 3,418 tonnes in the same period of 2018. Indonesia’s import of colour coated sheet from China had been on the increase in the last 10 years. However, the volume started to slow down since 2017. Import volume in the fist nine months of 2018 registered a moderate decline of 3% YoY to 81,622 tonnes.

Import of other coated sheet from China, on the other hand, jumped by three-folds in 2017 to 168,748 tonnes and continued to increase at the same momentum in the first nine months of 2018, to 277,215 tonnes. There seems to be a shift of demand from colour coated sheet to other coated sheet in Indonesia.

Import of pipes & tubes from China continued to decline from 2015 to 2017. However, the import volume increased substantially in the first nine months of 2018, by 50% YoY, to 186,808 tonnes. Around 80% of which was the import of seamless pipes while another 20% was for welded pipes.

Source : STRATEGIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE, STEELGURU