Japanese semi-finished steel exports fell 13% on the year to 3.20 million mt in 2019, latest customs data showed Thursday.

The largest export destination remained Taiwan, with 1.32 million mt of semi-finished steel exported during the year, down 25% from 2018. South Korea remained second with 0.91 million mt, down 2.3% on the year.

Thailand and Indonesia, however, were up by 12% and 63%, respectively from 2018, at 0.55 million mt and 0.13 million mt in 2019.

Amid relatively softer product prices in comparison to 2018, Thai and Indonesian EAF mills were turning to semi-finished steel for raw material to limit high scrap-melting costs, S&P Global Platts noted.

Japanese exports to Philippines, a major importer of billets in Southeast Asia, were down 44% on the year to 0.10 million mt last year.

The slump came amid rising trade protectionism in the billet industry, which led to more competitive sellers from other origins seeking alternate buyers in Asia. Exports to the US, with the country’s steel import tariffs, plunged 96% to 3,859 mt in 2019.

Japan's 2019 semis exports to China totaled 121,904 mt in 2019, up 1.5% from 2018.

-- Samuel Chin