According to Argus, Taiwan's ferrous scrap imports fell 21.3% month-on-month and 13.2% year-on-year in February, totaling 218,887 tons. This decline was attributed to rising seaborne scrap prices in November and December, as well as lower bookings during the Lunar New Year holiday period when mills were more cautious in their procurement.
Therefore, The US remained Taiwan's top ferrous scrap supplier in February, providing 81,249 tons, down 32.6% month-on-month and 25.1% year-on-year. However, imports from Japan fell 10.3% month-on-month and 15% year-on-year to 55,510 tons, while imports from the Dominican Republic rose 7.1% month-on-month and 16.9% year-on-year to 17,563 tons.
Scrap supply from Australia fell 47.8% year-on-year to 9,921 tons, as Australian sellers focused on stronger markets in South Asia. Looking ahead, a slowing construction sector in Taiwan could mean lower scrap imports going forward, as the shortage of manpower and rising building material costs have impacted the initiation of new construction projects.