Japanese stainless steel products imports up by 13pct YoY in 2011

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

The Japan Iron and Steel Federation compiled the import statistics released by the Ministry of Finance into the table attached hereto with regard to the imports of stainless steel products during 2011.
Total imports in 2011 were 189,263 tonnes, up by 13.6% YoY from 167,499 tons in 2010. Fairly high level of monthly imports of more or less 15,000 tonnes except in April 2011, June 2011 and August 2011 helped the total annual imports to increase.
Total value of the imports was USD 787.972 million with an averaged unit price of USD 4,163 per tonne, up by 14.3% from 2010. Monthly averages of the unit prices for 10 months of 2011 between February 2011 and November 2011 were all more than USD 4,000 per tonne.
All major originating countries, especially Korea, increased exports to Japan compared to 2010. Besides, imports from those countries traditionally of smaller exports to Japan also increased volumes by 8%.
The imports in December 2011 were 16,909 tonnes, up by 13.6% MoM from November 2011, a small rebound from the past several months of decline. Total value of the imports in December 2011 was USD 64.318 million with an averaged unit price of USD 3,803.77 per tonne, down again from the preceding month by 8.5%, mainly because of the prices of most of the imported products, except the ones from China, dropped from November 2011.
By comparison, total imported quantity of special steel products, including stainless steel products, in December 2011 was 49,079 tonnes, up by 58.9% MoM from November 2011, mainly because the imports of other special steel products notably increased to 32,170 tonnes, up by 100% MoM from November 2011.
Source: TEX Report Limited

Iran’s cutting steel imports, depressing global steel market

Monday, 13 February 2012

Steel exports to Iran, one of the world's top importers of billet used in construction, are grinding to a halt, traders said. "Iran is the only market in the world that can move billet prices and now trading has basically come to a halt," a steel trader based in Britain said.

"Now you can really feel the effects of the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and Europe...It is very difficult to do any business with Iran at the moment," a steel trader at a Swiss metals trading house said. Thanks to large-scale building programs in the last few years, Iran has become one of the top importers of steel billet, a semi-finished long steel product mainly used for construction.

The country imported over 3 million tons of semi-finished steel products in 2010 and almost 2 million of hot-rolled coil, a steel product used in transport, construction, shipbuilding and energy pipelines, according to data from the International Steel Statistics Bureau. Boris Krasnojenov, an analyst with Moscow-based Renaissance Capital, said monthly Iran imports from Russia were over 300,000 tons for most of last year.

"As far as I know, the situation is much worse. Some say CIS mills cut sales 10 times," he said.
The collapse in Iranian imports is depressing international steel billet prices, which fell by about $50 a ton in a month to $560 a ton fob Russia and Ukraine this week. "All volumes from the Caspian Sea will be redirected to the Black Sea," Krasnojenov said. "That is a major problem for Russian steel plants." Russia sends about 15 percent of its total exports to Iran, making it the largest source of foreign steel, but the sanctions are pushing it out of the market.

"Steel demand is pretty strong, the problem is the banking system," said Dmitry Smolin, metals and mining analyst at URALSIB Capital. "Russian banks do not have trading lines with Iranian banks to facilitate rouble transactions." Iran's envoy to Moscow said late last month that Iran and Russia had started using their domestic rial and rouble currencies in bilateral trade instead of the U.S. dollar. However, market players say the dollar shortage is crippling the steel trade.

(sourced Reuters)

Japan Oct Steel imports up 28 pct yr/yr on yen

Mon Nov 21, 2011

TOKYO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Japanese imports of steel grew 28 percent from a year ago in October as the strong yen widened a price gap between domestic and foreign producers, preliminary customs data showed on Monday.

Details of the September data are as follows (value column in millions of yen):

Volume           Yr/Yr       Value   Yr/Yr  
    
Grain           1,981,001  tonnes    -3.2%     66,591    36.4% 
(from U.S.)    1,215,350  tonnes   -12.4%     37,237    29.1% 
Soybeans          314,904  tonnes     8.1%     15,098    22.6% 
(from U.S.)      129,773  tonnes    -2.4%      6,160     8.2% 
Meat              214,589  tonnes    15.3%     90,645    20.9% 
(from U.S.)       55,559  tonnes    28.8%     24,287    26.6% 
Nonferrous Ore  1,379,000  tonnes    14.8%    126,557    -4.3% 
Nonferrous Met    317,792  tonnes      21%    144,526    15.9% 
Steel             793,954  tonnes    28.4%     90,042    32.5%

(sourced Reuters)

Italy’s steel imports from non-EU countries up 21.7 percent in Jan-Sept

Monday, 31 October 2011

According to the statistics released by the Italian steel producers' association Federacciai, in the first nine months of 2011 Italy's steel imports from non-European Union (EU) countries reached 7.39 million metric tons, increasing by 21.7 percent year on year, while its steel exports to non-EU destinations totaled 3.54 million metric tons, down 4.4 percent year on year.

In January-September this year, Italy's semi-finished steel product imports from non-EU countries reached 2.362 million metric tons, down 1.7 percent year on year. Meanwhile, the country's semi-finished steel product exports to countries outside the EU amounted to 188,000 metric tons, decreasing by 42 percent year on year.

In the given period, Italy's imports of long steel products from non-EU countries increased by 22.6 percent to 521,000 metric tons, while its long steel product exports to non-EU destinations totaled 990,000 metric tons, up 2.1 percent, both year on year.

Tags: beams , pipe , plate , wire , Italy , tubular , longs , flats , semis , Mediterranean , Europe , European Union , Non-EU Countries , steelmaking , imp/exp statistics

Taiwan iron and steel export value in July up by 12pct

Saturday, 13 Aug 2011

According to the statistics released by the Taiwan ministry of finance, Taiwan's iron and steel exports value in July this year amounted to USD 1.76 billion, increasing by 12.2% compared to June and up 31% compared to the same month of 2010, while its metal product exports value totaled USD 1 billion, up 14.75% compared to the previous month and up 21.4% compared to the same month of 2010.

Meanwhile, in July Taiwan's iron and steel imports value increased by 3.3% compared to the previous month and 8.4% YoY to USD 1.15 billion and its metal product imports value came to USD 1.03 billion down by 9.6% MoM and up by 9.4% YoY.

(sourced steelorbis)

Japanese earthquake - Indian insurance companies turn away

Friday, 18 Mar 2011

It is reported that almost all the majors in Indian insurance sectors have stopped insuring steel cargos under shipment from Japanese ports.

Steel imports are normally done at CFR terms, where the insurance is undertaken by the buyers. (sourced:steelguru)

Flat-rolled steel inventories in Brazil down 3.8 percent

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

According to the Brazilian Steel Distributors' Institute (INDA) and the Brazilian Steel Institute (IABr), flat-rolled steel inventories in Brazil totaled 1.157 million metric tons in January, a 3.8 percent decrease from December due to fewer imports into the country.

Flat steel imports fell 42 percent year-on-year last month, to 130,000 metric tons, from the 225,000 metric tons in January 2009. Month-on-hand inventories were about 3.4 months, down 0.9 months from month-on-hand inventories in December.

(sourced:steelorbis)
Tags: hrc , crc , galvanized , coated , flats , Brazil , South America , distribution , steelmaking , trading

EU investigates Brazilian steel imports measures

Saturday, 05 Feb 2011
Bloomberg reported that the European Union is investigating Brazilian measures to limit steel imports because they may break World Trade Organization's rules.

Steelmaker trade association EUROFER said that the EU is Brussels didn't open a formal investigation yet and is talking to the Brazilian government before taking such a decision.

It may be recalled that Brazil's tax agency said in October 2010 that it would seek to combat irregularities in steel imports, applying taxes based on pre determined prices whenever the declared value is lower.(sourced:www.bloomberg.net)