Steel Industry: Production and Consumption in November Increased More Than 30%
Steel NewsDate: 21-12-2023 by: Nhu Quynh
In November 2023, both production and consumption in Vietnam's steel industry experienced growth. Specifically, nationwide steel sales reached over 2.5 million tons, marking a 30% increase compared to the same period last year and reaching the highest level since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, finished steel production reached 2.4 million tons, reflecting a 34.4% increase compared to the same period.
The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) reported an improvement in the consumption of finished steel in the domestic market in November compared to the previous month and the same period last year for most steel manufacturing and trading enterprises. In particular, sales of various steel types reached over 2.5 million tons, up 13% from the previous month and 30% compared to the same period in 2022. The growth in steel consumption has been consistent over several months, signaling a recovery for the steel industry. Meanwhile, the production of finished steel during this period amounted to 2.4 million tons, up 3% from October and 34.4% compared to the same period last year.
In the first 11 months of the year, the steel industry produced 25 million tons of finished steel, down by 7.8% compared to the same period last year. Steel consumption reached 23.7 million tons, declining by 5.6% compared to the sales volume in the first 11 months of 2022. Specifically, steel exports during this period amounted to 7.4 million tons, marking a 29% increase compared to the same period.
Hoa Phat, a leading enterprise in the steel industry, observed its highest sales volume since the beginning of the year. Specifically, sales of construction steel, hot-rolled coil (HRC) and steel billets reached 709,000 tons, marking a 12% increase from October. Notably, sales of high-quality construction steel by Hoa Phat during this period reached 410,000 tons, indicating a 21% surge compared to the same period last year.
The company's representative stated that the domestic steel industry is on the rise due to the beginning of the construction season and is partly driven by policies encouraging the disbursement of public investment capital. According to the assessment by VSA, the sales volume of construction steel has increased, partly due to infrastructure projects such as the North-South expressway and the ongoing development of new airports, which have accelerated progress alongside several other projects.
The steel industry has experienced significant price fluctuations in recent months, with steel companies continuously adjusting prices upward from November onwards. According to VSA, the consistent price hikes in steel are primarily due to the rising costs of raw materials used in steel production such as coal, iron ore, scrap steel and hot-rolled coils, showing no signs of slowing down.
The selling prices of finished steel have been increasing at a slower pace compared to the rising costs of raw materials. This is one of the difficulties that the steel industry is facing.
In the upcoming period, the price of this commodity is forecast to continue rising due to a narrow supply of iron ore, while construction demand is expected to increase. This will be an opportunity for the steel industry and steel stocks in 2024.
