Thailand’s net steel imports in September were 859,890t, a 20% m-o-m decrease but a y-o-y increase of 5%, Thailand's customs data shows. Exports to China of billet have slumped but overall volumes have recovered from 2020. Combined net imports reached 10.692mt over the opening nine months of 2021, an increase of 17% y-o-y. Exports in September decreased 28% on-month, but still increased 65% on-year to 198,648t, while over nine months total exports reached 1.578mt, up 74% y-o-y. 

Malaysia’s exports to the surrounding region have held up, while exports to East Asia, mainly China, have dropped sharply. In September, Thailand exported 85,986t of steel to Southeast Asia, the biggest destination that month, up 3% m-o-m and 18% y-o-y. During the first nine months exports to Southeast Asia were up 32% at 640,633t. The second largest export destination was East Asia, but volumes slumped 50% m-o-m, while remaining up 913% y-o-y, at 70,709t in September. Over January-September East Asia's volumes were up 410% on-year to 524,585t. Another 23,427t of steel exports went to North America in September, up 46% m-o-m and 10% y-o-y, while over January-September, North American shipments grew 32% to 191,523t. 

By product, semis were the bulk of Thailand's exports and they drove the change in volumes. Thailand had semis exports of 78,363t in September, a 49% m-o-m decline but a 273% y-o-y increase. Total semis exports increased 408% over the opening nine months of this year, reaching 508,699t. Thailand's carbon and alloy semis exports to China hit 35,815t in September, a slump of 68% from August, but an increase of 2,922% from last year, while over nine months this totalled 300,535t, up 937% from 2020. September exports of carbon and alloy semis to the Philippines were 29,987t, an increase of 46% m-o-m and 52% y-o-y. This brings their nine month total up 158% y-o-y to 102,319t.