Steel pipe makers target US

Steel pipe makers have boosted exports to the US by improving the quality of their products.

During the first six months of the year, steel pipe exports earned US$33 million, with most heading to the US market, said the General Department of Taxation.

Steelmakers have a great opportunity to export more steel pipe to the US, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. US demand was high, and Chinese steelmakers have been hit by an anti-dumping duty of 17.7-39.2 per cent.

In the first half of this year, the wholly South Korea-invested SeAH Co shipped 13,920 tonnes of steel pipe to the US, while Taiwan-invested Sun Steel Co exported 6,492 tonnes.

Domestic steelmaker Viet Nam-Germany Steel Pipe Co shipped 2,890 tonnes during the period.

Viet Nam- Germany Steel Pipe Joint Stock Co deputy director Nguyen Phan Duc said his company was attempting to focus on quality and timely delivery, two factors important to this export market.

Under the company’s plan for the year, exports would account for 20-30 per cent of its total output and 70 per cent of its export volume, or 10,000 tonnes, would ship to the US, said Duc.

Hoa Phat Steel Pipe Co has also signed $1 million worth of contracts to export 1,000 tonnes to the US this month, said the head of the company’s import and export division, Do Hai Yen.

Hoa Phat only entered the US market earlier this year and exported 200 tonnes of steel pipe per month during the first half, Yen said. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam steel exports, Vietnam steel industry, Vietnam steel market