MISIF organized the 13th Conference on Status and Outlook of the Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry on 27 September 2018 at Dorsett Grand Subang, Subang Jaya, Selangor.
This one-day event focused on the performance, near term outlook and way forward for the domestic iron and steel industry, developments and future of the global steel trade, industry reforms in China and the application of Industry 4.0 in the context of the Malaysian steel industry.
The conference was officiated by Y.B. Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Dr. Ong said that the theme for the 2018 conference, Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry – Forging Ahead in Challenging Times was indeed relevant and important for the industry to respond to new challenges and remain sustainable for the betterment of the domestic industry. He also said that the global steel industry is experiencing a stable growth in 2018. The global steel demand is expected to grow by 1.8% to 1.62 billion MT in 2018 and by 0.7% to 1.63 billion MT in 2019. In 2017, Malaysia’s steel consumption was recorded at 9.44 million MT. He urged the domestic steel producers to diversity and more towards specialty steel and higher-value added products in other sectors such as automotive, E&E, machinery & equipment and oil & gas. He also highlighted the concerns and consequences resulting from the US-China trade war, which MITI is monitoring very closely. He concluded that the Government will continue to support the industry in terms of formulating conducive and sustainable policies for the entire ecosystem.
The paper presented at the conference were as follows:
- “The Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Outlook 2018/2019” by Mr. Henry Law, Managing Partner, Eigis Consulting Group;
- “Trade Wars, China’s Supply-Side Reforms And Their Impact On Asian Steel Markets” by Mr. Keith Tan, Senior Managing Editor, Steel and Raw Materials, S&P Global Platts;
- “Innovation and Development of the Chinese Steel Industry” by Mr. Jim Su Chang Yong, Director, International Co. Dept., China Iron and Steel Association; and
- “Industry 4.0 and the Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry” by Mr. Antonio Gayo, Head of Digital Transformation, Acerinox S.A.
YB Dr. Ong also launched the 13th MISIF Report on Status and Outlook of the Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry 2018/19. This biennial MISIF’s flagship publication has provided a comprehensive appraisal on the performance of the Malaysian iron and steel industry as a reference material in the steel industry, gainfully used by both public and private sectors for research and planning purposes.
