[Ferro-Alloys.com] The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) has said local steel producers faced difficulties in the first months of 2019 when prices averaged just 650 USD per tonne, a fall of 12 percent compared to the same time last year, driven by trade tensions.

Vietnam mainly shipped steel and iron to the markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), the US and the European Union. Although exports to popular partners like Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia were kept steady, shipments to two other major outlets - the US and the EU - saw strong declines in both volume and value.

Some 285,000 tonnes of steel and iron were exported to the US during January-June, earning the country 223.2 million USD, representing a reduction of 35 percent in volume and 41 percent in value.

Exports to the EU, meanwhile, dropped 30 percent in volume and 41 percent in value to 204,000 tonnes and 137 million USD. (VNA)