NOVEMBER 2020

THE STEELNOTICEBOARD

STEEL BARWIRE RODBILLET

RM2163

RM2272

RM1980SCRAPIRON ORE

RM1371

RM515

TRADE PERFORMANCE
Malaysia Trade Performance, January-October 2020
Malaysia’s Iron and Steel trade value in October 2020 was recorded at RM 3.9 billion, a decrease of 12.5 percent compared in October
2019. However, the trade balance has narrowed downwards by 85.7 percent from trade deficit of RM1.4 billion in 2019 to trade
deficit of RM0.2 billion in 2020.
Trade Performance of Iron & Steel Industry
From January to October 2020, the trade value stood at RM39.6
Oct 2020: RM
billion compared to RM43.5 billion in the same period of 2019,
3.9 billion
Trade
12.5% M-o-M changea reduction of 9.1 percent. However, significant improvement
Oct 2019: RM
Valueon the trade balance from trade deficit of RM8.5 billion in
4.5 billion
January to October 2019 to trade deficit of RM 0.5 billion during
Oct 2020:
Oct 2020
Oct 2019
Balance(RM 0.2 billion)(RM 0.2 billion)(RM 1.4 billion)
the same period of 2020 due to lower imports, especially theof TradeOct 2019:
Trade Deficit
Trade Deficit
long product segment. Imposition of Movement Control Order(RM 1.4 billion)(MCO), Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) andRecovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) to control theJan-Oct 2020:
spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia since middle of March 2O2O
RM
39.6 billion
Trade
9.1% Y-o-Y change
resulted in soften domestic demand of Rebar and Steel Wire
Jan-Oct2019:
Value
Rod. Being the key steel user for long steels i.e. Rebar and SteelRM 43.5 billion
Wire Rod, low consumption from construction sector has
Jan-Oct 2020:Jan-Oct 2019
Jan-Oct 2020
caused oversupply of the products and pushed the import of(RM 0.5 billion)(RM 8.5 billion)
Balance(RM0.5billion)
Rebar and Steel Wire Rod downwards. Nonetheless, export of
Jan-Oct 2019:
Trade Deficitof Trade
Trade Deficit
Rebar and Steel Wire Rod continued its uptrend momentum(RM 8.5 billion)
supported by demand from infrastructure and construction
projects after China reopened its economy in the end of April
Data Source: MSI/MATRADE/DOSM
2020 from lockdown to prevent the spread of pandemic COVID-19.

MSI WITH YOUAPEC MINISTERIAL MEETING
On 16 November 2020, MSI and other agencies assisted and participated in the APEC Ministerial Meeting led by The
Honourable Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI).
The APEC Ministerial Meeting was held virtually for the first time. The virtual press conference addressed on how thecurrent Covid-19 pandemic has changed APEC.The pandemic caused disruption to the economy of Asia-Paficificregion and globally. The meeting also addressed on the facilitation on the movement of essential goods and services
across the border and ways to facilitate movement of people across the borders. Issues on WTO will be constantly
discussed to enhance market predictability, confidence in doing business and trade flow. Knowledge on newtechnology is important to drive the nation forward in data monitoring and educate consumers in digitalization ofbusiness. Covid-19 has caused changes to the usual working environment and in order to prepare for the futuresetting, one must be equiped with knowledge, skills and training for a digitalised working environment. The meeting
also aim to sustain good governance, economic development, harmonious relationship and reduce corruption andenhance transparency.

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MSI TRU
JAWATANKUASA TEKNIKAL STANDARD (JTS) MEETING
On 10th November 2020, MSI attended JTS Meeting through google meet. The meeting only requires facilitators toattend the meeting physically at Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK). All drafts of NOSS on Cold Rolling wereapproved with minor amendment while technical contents are well in place.

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3MEETING TO PROMOTE SISTEM LATIHANDUAL NATIONAL (SLDN) TO KISWIRE SDN
BHD
MSI hosted an online meeting to promote Sistem
Latihan Dual National (SLDN) to Kiswire Sdn Bhd
on 11th November 2020. The objective of thismeeting is to guide Kiswire to become anaccredited SLDN company and training centre inIron and steel Industry. The meeting was attended
by officials from Jabatan Pembangunan
Kemahiran (JPK).

SEAISI E-FORUM
MSI attended an e-Forum organized by South East Asia Iron and Steel Institute (SEAISI) from 24 November 2020 till
27th November 2020. The forum provided a very in-depth update on construction sectors in the respective countries,
namely: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The forum also provides
market perspectives for the Iron and Steel sector after almost a year of COVID-19 pandemic, the available technology
and digitalization that keep the construction sector running in the new normal and being competitive with the newpractice.

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4STEEL FACTS

WORLD STEEL IN FIGURES 2020

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EVENTS HIGHLIGHT[AUTHOR NAME]

6STEEL NEWS
1. Worst is over for Hiap Teck
Bullish outlook: Hiap Teck foresees greater infrastructure spending forwater development and replacement of water pipes in Sabah and Sarawak.
STEEL product manufacturer Hiap Teck Venture Bhd is confident of a goodoutlook ahead, as the worst is over following the conclusion of the group’s
financial year on July 31, 2020 (FY20), which bore the brunt of the effectsof the movement control order (MCO) from March until May.
Executive director Foo Kok Siew says FY20 was the group’s worst period as
it was impacted by a significant reduction in profit due to the MCO andCovid-19 pandemic. “With normalcy expected in growth next year, greater
development expenditure as stipulated in Budget 2021, rising steel prices
and the completion of our new coke oven plant, we are confident of a good
outlook for the current financial year and the couple of years ahead. “However, challenges will lie in the control of the Covid19 outbreak as well as the speed of the government’s development expenditure,” he tells StarBizWeek.
Hiap Teck registered a net profit of RM4.6mil in FY20, a 81.5% decline as compared to FY19. The group posted a net profitof RM27.19mil and RM24.82mil in FY18 and FY19, respectively, since its joint venture Eastern Steel Sdn Bhd resumed
operations in 2018. Hiap Teck owns 35% equity in Eastern Steel, which is an operator of a fully-integrated blast furnace steel
plant with a rated annual production capacity of 700,000 tonnes per annum. Hiap Teck is an integrated steel player involved
in upstream operations through Eastern Steel, which produces steel slabs and billets, as well as downstream operations
through its wholly owned subsidiaries which produce steel pipes and scaffolding.
“Our capital expenditure for 2021 and 2022 will be focused on reducing the production cost for Eastern Steel. “Following
the completion of the new coke oven plant by the second quarter of 2021, which will further reduce production costs, thegroup aims to increase Eastern Steel’s production capacity from 700,000 tonnes per annum to two million tonnes per annum
by 2024,” says Foo.
In December 2018, Hiap Teck added a billet caster plant with a production capacity of one million tonnes per annum, which
provided Eastern Steel the flexibility to optimise its revenue mix. Then in 2019, the group completed the construction of a55MW power plant, which resulted in substantial savings in energy costs for Eastern Steel.
The improvement in efficiencies has facilitated Eastern Steel’s operations to surpass its rated capacity, with the highest
operated capacity at 117%. Apart from efforts to optimise production for Eastern Steel, Hiap Teck will also be growing its
markets in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, India, South Korea and Taiwan.
Eastern Steel exports 70% of its steel slabs and billets. Meanwhile, Hiap Teck is eyeing opportunities for its downstream
operations of steel pipe and scaffolding manufacturing in Sabah as it ventures into the state. In March this year, Hiap Teckincorporated a 100%-owned subsidiary, Huatraco Scaffold (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, to penetrate the Sabah scaffolding equipment
market and promote collaboration with local Sabah corporations.
Besides that, the group, through Alpine Pipe Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, entered into a joint venture with Jetama Sdn Bhd, an
indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Sabah state government through Kota Kinabalu Water Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Sabah
Development Bhd. The joint-venture company, Jetama Alpine Pipe (Sabah) Sdn Bhd, in which Alpine Pipe owns 49% equity,
will penetrate the Sabah market for pipes and hollow sections. Jetama will provide the local knowledge while Alpine Pipewill supply products and provide technical expertise.
“We foresee greater infrastructure spending for water development and replacement of water pipes in east Malaysia. “Assuch, we aim to strengthen our presence in east Malaysia through our two subsidiaries, Huatraco Scaffold (Sabah) andJetama Alpine Pipe (Sabah). “Sabah and Sarawak are large, diverse states that are expanding their water transmission
systems,” says Foo, adding that the group is looking to establish its presence in Sarawak.

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In Sabah, the state government had previously proposed the building of a new dam in the Mondoringin area, to be called
the Papar Dam. The project is estimated to cost RM3bil, which will be funded by the state government. Caretaker Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal was quoted as saying that water remains an issue in Papar and with all the development
taking place in Kota Kinabalu, the supply will not be enough. Hiap Teck commands an estimated market share of 12% inMalaysia for the production of steel slabs and billets. On the other hand, the group’s steel pipe manufacturing arm, Alpine
Pipe, is one of the largest in the country, commanding a market share of about 25%. Going forward, Hiap Teck expects toincrease its market share progressively.

2. Pomina Steel 3 launches trial production at first BF
Vietnam’s Pomina Steel Corporation advances on its new steel project in Ba Ria,Vung Tau region launching trial production
at the first blast furnace (BF). On November 18, the company commenced trial production at its first BF, according to Pomina
Steel press release. “Pomina Steel 3 plans to produce around 1 million tpy of steel billet,” a representative of Vietnam Steel
Association told Metal Expert. The company will use steel billet as feedstock for its longs production, as well as to export
some volumes, Metal Expert learnt. Last year, the producer also switched to a new hybrid electrical/integrated steelmaking
technology, which allows it to improve equipment efficiency and gain savings on production costs. The company has signed
a contract with Italy’s Tenova for upgrading its EAFs with the FMF technology (Flexible Modular Furnace) at Pomina Steel 3,capable of producing 1 million tpy of steel billet, Metal Expert reported. The technology gives Pomina Steel more flexibility
in terms of using different charge components (liquid and pig iron, HBI, steel scrap).

3. Liberalising Natural Gas Market: Peninsular Malaysia’s JourneyThis is the first instalment of five awareness series on Malaysia’s journey towards liberalising its natural gas market by theEnergy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga or ST), a regulatory body responsible of ensuring that the supply of electricity andpiped gas to consumers is secure, reliable, safe, and affordable. The Natural Gas Market Liberalisation initiative is led by theEconomic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department, with the Energy Commission as the regulator, andsupported by Petronas, Gas Malaysia Bhd, and Malaysian Gas Association.
The oil and gas industry is recognised as one of themost progressive industries in the world, withnatural gas being the single largest source of energy
to power up our country. Malaysia’s consumption ofnatural gas has its beginnings in Sarawak with theintroduction of domestic and commercial piped gas
in the early 1960s. This was followed by Peninsular
Malaysia in the 1980s, when the Gas Master Plan(GMP) study was implemented, which set the stageand roadmap for the development of the naturalgas industry in the country.
One of the more important recommendations fromthe GMP was the implementation of a project thatputs in place the transmission pipeline grid for thePeninsular Malaysia, known as the Peninsular Gas
Utilisation (PGU) project. Today, the PGU boasts animpressive 2,623-km high-pressure transmission
pipeline network that connects to the 2,465-km
A Glance on The Evolution of Malaysia’s Gas Industry
Natural Gas Distribution System (NGDS) network ofdistribution and feeder pipelines which, collectively provide reliable access of natural gas to the consumers throughout
Peninsular Malaysia.
Over the past few decades, Malaysia has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth and natural gas played a key role inproviding a clean and reliable source of generating electricity for the country. This has indirectly spurred the developmentof by-products derived from natural gas processing and spawned a petrochemical industry that is today an important[AUTHOR NAME]

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contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Natural gas has consistently been the country’s leading sourceof energy since 1997. At its peak in 2006, natural gas accounted for almost 53 percent of Malaysia’s primary energy supply.
Furthermore, as the world shifts towards energy transition, natural gas continues to be a prominent driver to the country’seconomic growth. Given that natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, its inherent characteristic as a flexible and reliable
fuel makes natural gas the perfect partner to renewables in ensuring that the country achieves its commitment in carbon
emission reduction.
Moving from a low-income nation to a developing country, the Malaysian natural gas market has been subsidised. This hascreated a business environment that had allowed local businesses and industries to grow and thrive. However, continuing
the subsidised environment may lead to price distortion in the economy, as the true costs of production are not beingreflected. The ministry that is responsible for the economic planning of the gas market is the Prime Minister's Department(Economic Planning Unit). It is responsible for formulating policies for the nation's medium and long-term development
plans.
Under the Gas Supply Act 1993 purview, the Energy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga or ST) is the agency responsible toregulate and oversee the economic, safety, and technical aspects of the gas sector. As for the natural gas processes fromupstream to downstream for both physical infrastructure and supply chain, they are governed by multiple entities.
As complicated as the process may be, we have to wean ourselves from an over-reliance on price subsidies and find new
ways to allow the natural gas price to naturally be determined by the forces of supply and demand. The subsidy-centriceconomic model that has enabled Malaysia to grow from a low income to middle-income economy would not be sufficientto address the challenges of becoming a high-income nation, whilst transitioning into a sustainable low-carbon economy. In
the journey towards that, the energy sector needs to transform to ensure its sustainability over the long term. Reforms in
relation to the natural gas market have to be seen in that context. It entails changes in the following areas:• Introducing market efficiency and flexibility through the removal of monopolies;• Ensuring security of supply in the face of rising demand by increasing supply diversity;• Ensuring ease and fair access to the relevant gas supply infrastructures to third parties
Understanding the need to better manage our natural resources for the future, the Government is working towards
liberalising the natural gas market in Peninsular Malaysia to allow market forces to determine the natural gas price. The firststep towards natural gas market liberalisation is with the introduction of the Third-Party Access (TPA) regime. As its namesuggests, the TPA regime allows third parties, access to the natural gas market infrastructure to deliver gas to consumers.
To enable TPA to take place, the Government has in 2016, amended the Gas Supply Act 1993. The Gas Supply (Amendment)
Bill 2016 which was gazetted on Sept 9,2016 introduced the following main objectives:• To allow third-party suppliers to gain fair access within the gas value chain,• To promote healthy competition in the natural gas supply industry• To enable natural gas consumers to benefit from competitive prices, better services, and enhanced sustainability
and security of supply
The amendment of the Gas Supply Act 1993 effectively allows for new players, particularly shippers to supply natural gas tothe consumers and importers to procure Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the international market and import it intoMalaysia, thus strengthening their supply source portfolio.
By allowing access to the infrastructure in a transparent, fair, and non-discriminatory manner, the legislation paved the wayfor the introduction of the TPA regime in Peninsular Malaysia. As part of the subsidy rationalisation effort, the TPA regime
acts as the first step by the Government to move from regulated subsidised pricing to market-based pricing, be it higher orlower. However, the effect of the change will not take place in the immediate future. For many countries who have alreadygone through this process and succeeded, their journey varies in timelines and challenges.
Malaysia’s journey towards full liberalisation of its natural gas market will be similar, if not the same. However, it cannot bedenied that by undertaking market transformation of this magnitude, great strides will have to be taken to ensuresustainability of supply, to create a level playing field that promotes healthy competition, and to provide more options atcompetitive prices to consumers. The TPA regime contributes towards making the country’s foundations for stronger energy
security, and at the same time fosters economic security, prosperity, and well-being.

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9ABOUT MSI
Malaysia Steel Institute (MSI) is an industry driven enterprise supported and funded by the Ministry of International Trade &Industry (MITI) on shared responsibility basis with the industry. The main objectives of MSI are to promote and develop thecompetitiveness, resilience and sustainability of the Malaysian iron and steel industry; to provide advisory services and to carryout commission or promote the study of scientific, technology and economic aspects of iron and steel industry development in
Malaysia; and to promote iron and steel product standardisation and utilisation within Malaysia. For more information, pleasevisit www.malaysiasteelinstitute.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.
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