Vietnam’s HRC exports reached over 2.5 million tons in the first 9 months of 2023
Steel NewsDate: 04-11-2023 by: Ngan Le
In the first 9 months of 2023, Vietnam's HRC exports exceeded 2.5 million tons, with Formosa Ha Tinh and Hoa Phat Dung Quat leading in the export market share. Additionally, crude steel exports showed a remarkable increase of over 81% compared to the previous year, reaching a volume of 1.4 million tons.
Overview of Vietnam’s HRC exports from domestic steel manufacturers
In the first 9 months of 2023, the steel industry's overall production of hot-rolled coil (HRC) reached 4.93 million tons, marking a 1.7% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Total sales volume was 4.95 million tons, reflecting a 4.1% increase compared to the previous year, with export quantities accounting for 50% of the total, reaching 2.559 million tons.
Formosa Ha Tinh and Hoa Phat Dung Quat continued to lead the HRC sector in the country, with export figures of 1.6 million tons and 817,000 tons, respectively. It's worth noting that HRC exports have tripled compared to the same period last year, indicating a strong recovery in the Vietnamese steel industry despite the domestic steel consumption remaining relatively weak due to challenges in the real estate sector. In this context, export, especially in the HRC segment, has partially compensated for steel enterprises' domestic sales.
Additionally, data reveals that Italy and India have become the two largest import markets for Vietnam’s HRC exports, with Italy importing over 840,000 tons and India importing more than 386,000 tons in the past 9 months. Furthermore, in more than 40 countries importing HRC from Vietnam, there are two Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, ranking third and fourth in terms of import volume, with 378,000 tons and 244,000 tons. Previously, Vietnam's steel was predominantly consumed in the Southeast Asian region. However, since the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the European market has emerged as a promising destination for Vietnamese steel exporters.
The pie chart show top Vietnam’s HRC importing countries in the first 9 months of 2023
While China's steel production has been continuously decreasing, India is considered as a new global steel production powerhouse, leading experts to believe that India will continue to maintain demand for HRC imports to support its manufacturing sector. Italy, which has always been a leading importer of Vietnamese steel in the European market, has shown sustained interest in Vietnam's steel. Attractive pricing from Vietnamese HRC manufacturers and the tariff benefits under the EVFTA have provided opportunities for strong steel importation by European businesses.
Export of other steel segments in the first 9 months of 2023 has shown positive growth
According to the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA), the export volume of other steel categories, including crude steel, finished steel, and construction steel, has increased significantly compared to the previous year. Overall, in the first 9 months of 2023, the total production of crude steel across the industry exceeded 14 million tons, despite a 13% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. However, export data indicates a remarkable 81% increase compared to the previous year, reaching a volume of 1.4 million tons.
Similarly, the production and export of finished steel have seen positive changes, with production reaching 20.2 million tons, a 13.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2022, while export quantities reached nearly 6 million tons, reflecting a 22.6% increase compared to the previous year. In the case of galvanized steel, production reached 3.42 million tons in the first 9 months of 2023, a slight 3.4% decrease compared to the same period the previous year, with 3.11 million tons being sold and 1.66 million tons serving export purposes. Overall, the growth percentages in sales and exports do not significantly differ from the previous year.
The production of construction steel products in the past 9 months exceeded 7.72 million tons, with production decreasing by 21.6% compared to the previous year. Sales and exports reached 7.74 million tons and 1.25 million tons, respectively, both showing a downward trend compared to the same period in 2022. In general, most real estate sectors have witnessed a global decline in investments ranging from 40% to 65% compared to the previous year, directly impacting the consumption of construction steel.
The charts indicated about the exporting volumes of Vietnam steel products in 9 months of 2023
Despite the current weak domestic consumption, VSA anticipates that challenging sectors such as real estate and industrial production will continue to improve in the near future due to public investment projects aiming to stimulate strong steel demand towards the end of the year. The steel market in Vietnam in the fourth quarter of 2023 is expected to have an upward trend, primarily due to favorable export conditions that allow enterprises to increase production.
