Heavy floods in Jakarta which started on January 1 have not led to visible troubles for steel producers in Indonesia, though the natural disaster was one of the biggest seen over the past 12 years.
“The rain falling on New Year’s Eve in the western and northern parts of Java was very extreme and triggered floods in Greater Jakarta and Cikampek [in West Java],” the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency stated. More than 40 people have died and more than 60,000 were evacuated.
Heavy rains and floods have hurt transportation in Jakarta, but the consequences for Indonesian steel mills have been limited. “Most transportation was not paralyzed; in fact, only minor problems occurred, with most of them resolved within 12 hours,” a mill’s representative said. “Most industries in the flood areas already prepared for floods about 10 years ago,” he added.
As it is expected that the rains will last until the middle of next week, while some delays in deliveries of raw material and semis may be seen at Jakarta port, sources said, though it is hard to predict at the moment.