Vietnam steel imports surge in first half
Sunday, 1 July 2007
HANOI, June 30 (Xinhua): Vietnam imported 3.7 million tons of steel billets and finished products totaling nearly 2.2 billion US dollars in the first half of this year, posting year-on-year rises of 33.5 per cent and 60.9 per cent respectively, according to the country's General Statistics Office yesterday.
Vietnam imported 982,000 tons of steel billets, material for steel production, worth 447 million dollars between January and June, up 5.4 per cent and 31.1 per cent, respectively.
The Vietnamese Trade Ministry has recently predicted that the country would, this year, import over 2 million tons of steel billets at prices of 400-420 dollars per ton, produce 2.3 million tons of steel billets, and consume some 4 million tons of construction steel.
Vietnam imported over 5.6 million tons of steel billets and finished steel products totaling 2.9 billion dollars in 2006, up 1. 8 per cent in volume but down 0.9 per cent in value over 2005, the statistics office said.
Steel makers in the country had a combined annual production capacity of some 6 million tons by late last year, according to the Vietnam Steel Association.
Vietnam imported 982,000 tons of steel billets, material for steel production, worth 447 million dollars between January and June, up 5.4 per cent and 31.1 per cent, respectively.
The Vietnamese Trade Ministry has recently predicted that the country would, this year, import over 2 million tons of steel billets at prices of 400-420 dollars per ton, produce 2.3 million tons of steel billets, and consume some 4 million tons of construction steel.
Vietnam imported over 5.6 million tons of steel billets and finished steel products totaling 2.9 billion dollars in 2006, up 1. 8 per cent in volume but down 0.9 per cent in value over 2005, the statistics office said.
Steel makers in the country had a combined annual production capacity of some 6 million tons by late last year, according to the Vietnam Steel Association.