Steel 360 - May 2020

In dit nummer

After beginning on a strong note, coal imports to India started feeling the
COVID-19 heat from March 2020 onwards. Coking coal imports were
considerably affected, as berthing and uploading activities were halted at several
key ports and, with all the major steel mills having scaled down their operations,
demand was low. Australian prices continued to decline throughout last month, as
Asia's major consumer regions of India, Japan and South Korea, saw muted buying
interest amid coronavirus-induced production cuts by multiple steel makers
outside of China. In steam coal, consignments from Indonesia and South Africa
were hit. While Indonesia miners continue to produce and are upbeat on
maintaining the average selling price, exports from South Africa, which, like India,
went into lockdown, have been impacted. Of RBCT’s total 5-6 MnT of thermal
coal exports, 60% come to India. With the virus-induced collapse in industrial
demand for power in Europe, as well as global logistics issues, there can be
serious supply and demand disruptions in the coming months. In India too,
lockdown blues resulted in power demand declining 25-35% in the first half of
April and will continue to remain low till industrial activity resumes fully. Our
Cover Story on pg. 40 takes a 360-degree look at the COVID-19 impact on coal.
In Intervista, on pg. 30, the spotlight is on Malay Mukherjee, Independent Non-
Executive Director, JSW Steel, who feels the sheer magnitude and complexity of
the COVID-19 crisis is unparalleled. Severely disrupted global logistics will
contribute to the growth challenges across sectors.
World View, our international section, on pgs. 36 and 56,
explores the steel demand outlook in China, where inventory
levels have piled up.