Flats: Vietnam's import market for commercial-grade hot-rolled coil was stuck in weakness in May. Chinese short-selling offers and offers with illegal tax status have been very active in the Vietnamese market, dragging down local buyer expectations.

Longs: The Southeast Asian rebar import market has been hit by weak demand and negative sentiment in May. Malaysianorigin rebar was the most competitive in the market last month, followed by supply from the Middle East.

Semis: The Philippine billet import market saw the return of Russian billet at $530/t cfr in early May. During the same period, short sales by Chinese sellers weighed on the market, which also forced local steel mills in Southeast Asia to cut prices sharply.

Raw Materials: In Vietnam in mid-May, traders said offer prices of Japanese H2 grade scrap have increased slightly, to $375-385/t cfr in Vietnam, compared to $375-380/t cfr in early-May. They add that the market is slow, however.

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Country Reports:

• Vietnam
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Indonesia
• Singapore
• Phillipines

Plus, country Trade Data.

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