Steel prices to continue rising

March 16, 2011 | 14:53

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Domestic steel prices are expected to continue increasing due to high input costs and economic conditions, including high interest rates and fluctuating foreign exchange rates.

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Vietnam Steel Association chairman Pham Chi Cuong said the price of materials, including iron and coal, was also likely to continue rising.

Cuong said the price of finished steel products was expected to increase by 0.6-0.7 per cent due to higher price of electricity. He said a 30 per cent cut in electricity volume at present has reduced steel production and forced producers to import pig iron to meet domestic demand.

Steel was currently VND17-19 million ($795-889) per tonne. However, the price would not increase much in the future because if the new price was too high, the sales of steel products would reduce, Cuong said.

Vietnam was estimated to produce 6.7 million tonnes of steel for this year, 4.2 per cent higher than last year, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Meanwhile, the demand for billets was expected to be 6 million tonnes. Vietnam was expected to be able to produce only 60 per cent of that total, and would have to import a further 2 million tonnes.

In the first two months of this year, member companies of the association produced 850,000 tonnes of steel, 25.1 per cent more than the same period last year.

VIR/VNA

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