[miningmx.com] — SOUTH AFRICAN crude steel production was up 51.1% year-on-year to an estimated 710 000 metric tonnes in January, the World Steel Association reported on Monday.
Crude steel output was 470 000 metric tonnes in January 2009 and an estimated 700 000 metric tonnes in December 2009, reflecting the country’s increased capacity utilisation as steel demand has picked up globally.
African crude steel production was 21.1% up year-on-year to 1.29 million metric tonnes in January 2010 from 1.07 million metric tonnes in January last year.
This is however lower than December’s production of 1.36 million metric tonnes.
World crude steel production for the 66 countries reporting to the World Steel Association was 108.9 million metric tonnes in January – a 25.5% increase on the 86.8 million metric tonnes produced in January 2009.
GLOBAL PRODUCTION
China’s crude steel production for January 2010 was 48.7 million metric tonnes, an increase of 18.2% on January 2009 while Japan produced 8.7 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010, up 36.8% compared to the same month last year.
South Korea showed an increase of 32.4% from January 2009, producing 4.5 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010.
In the EU, Germany’s crude steel production for January 2010 was 3.4 million metric tonnes, an increase of 27.7% compared to January 2009.
Spain produced 1.4 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010, an increase of 51.1% on January 2009 while France’s crude steel production was 1.1 million metric tonnes, up 32.3% compared to the same month last year.
Turkey produced 2.1 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010, a 2% increase over the same month in 2009.
The US produced 6.1 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010, an increase of 48.8% compared to January 2009, and Brazilian crude steel production was 2.7 million metric tonnes, 66.6% higher than January 2009.
Russia produced 5.2 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010, an increase of 33% on January 2009 while Ukraine’s crude steel production for January 2010 was 2.7 million metric tonnes, 28.4% higher than the same month last year.
Australia produced 0.6 million metric tonnes of crude steel in January 2010, recording a 38.6% increase over the same month in 2009.
The world crude steel capacity utilisation ratio of the 66 countries in January 2010 was 72.9%, an increase from 71.9% in December 2009.
Compared to January 2009, the utilisation ratio in January 2010 increased by 11.6 percentage points, the association said.
