Markets in Asia

摘要

The terrible destruction and death toll of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami did not extend to Asia's steelworks. Indonesia's Krakatau and most of its minor steelworks are on Java, far to the south. Thailand's main production areas are in the east, and even the Malaysian steelworks in the province of Penang is actually on the peninsular mainland. The main impact of the disaster will be felt later, when repair and reconstruction work raises local steel demand. Civil engineering infrastructure work on culverts, roads, bridges and ports should predominate at first, as there is a desperate need for these even for the regular delivery of post-disaster aid quite apart from reviving normal economic activity. Even so, it will probably take until March to mobilise the longer term project work teams. Building work on seafront holiday resorts will have a high priority, and the chances are that the constructions will be more steel-intensive than the buildings they replace. A case can certainly be made for using more structural steel, but there will also be requirement for painted coil and galvanised sheet for ducting.