China’s low-quality steel takes toll on domestic manufacturing

From January-August, Vietnam imported 13 million tonnes of steel worth nearly 6.4 billion USD, up 37.2 percent in volume and 11 percent in value. Up to 60 percent of this steel is of Chinese origin, and the figure is likely to rise in the future. To protect consumers and domestic manufacturing, Vietnam needs to devise a set of national standards to better manage imported iron sheets and steel. The VSA, together with firms such as Bluescope, China Steel Sumikin, Ton Phuong Nam, and Ton Dong A, stressed the need to make a list of steps to test the imports, including their origin, trademarks, certification, and technical properties.