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South-east Asia steelmakers aim to emerge from China's shadow

Regional countries are taking on China imports by upgrading steelmaking technology and imposing tariffs

Published Thu, Jun 23, 2016 · 09:50 PM

Bangkok

AS a construction boom spurs steel demand across South-east Asia, countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are challenging a flood of imports from China by retooling their steelmaking technology or imposing tariffs.

US and European steelmakers are leading complaints over alleged dumping, but cheap Chinese imports account for two thirds of steel consumed in many South-east Asian countries. The region includes six of the top 10 buyers of Chinese steel, and capacity utilisation in its own mills has slumped to less than 40 per cent.

While steel from China is expected to dominate for many years, swelling demand is driving efforts in countries like Vietnam and Indonesia to build more modern plants to better compete with China's vast mills. "China is a major force with huge supply domina…

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