Indonesia predicted steel import will rise by 66.7 percent this year to 10 million tons this year compared to last year, due to surging domestic demand, a paper said here Wednesday.

    Director General of Metal and Textile of Industry Ministry Ansari Bukhari quoted by the Bisnis Indonesia daily, said that the rise of import of steel with type of "HS 72 and 73" was due to the strong domestic demands from the sectors of automotive, shipping industry, electronic, the government program of 10,000 Mega Watt power plant.

    Moreover, the decrease of global oil prices had strengthened the importers affordability.

    The current price at the level of 108 U.S. dollars per barrel was still potential for the further decrease.

    Several products in the category of HS 72 and 73 are pig iron, scrap, hot rolled-coils and cold rolled-coils.

    Indonesia domestic steel industry only could produce 4 to 4.5 million tons steel per year. The country's largest steel producer of Krakatau Steel only could contribute 80 percent or 2.5 million tons of the volume.