ICRA in its latest report has said that sharp depreciation in the Indian rupee may help the domestic steel industry lower imports and boost exports in the coming months. Accordingly, this is likely to improve the country's overall steel trade balance. The report highlighted that in the first quarter of current financial year (Q1FY19) steel exports declined by over 33%, whereas imports rose by over 11%, and as a result the country turned a net steel importer, after having been a net exporter for the last two years.
Besides, it stated that while the consumption levels are likely to ease in a seasonally weak second quarter, government's continued thrust on infrastructure spends and expected improvement in rural demand on the back of higher minimum support prices (MSPs) is expected to drive the steel consumption growth momentum in the coming months.
The report also underlined that domestic steel consumption grew at a healthy pace of 9.2% year-on-year in June quarter, compared with 7.9% in FY18, driven by strong automobile sales growth and further uptick in demand for longs by the construction sector before the onset of the monsoon. Moreover, the country's finished steel production growth improved to 5.3 percent Y-o-Y in June quarter, from 3.1% in FY18.
Additionally, ICRA is expecting a sequential easing in operating profitability of the industry in September quarter on account of moderation in demand and increased raw material costs. It added that higher absorption of steel in the domestic market kept steel exports low, despite remunerative international prices.
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