World crude steel production in April up

May 27, 2008: In the month of April the world crude steel for the 66 countries who report to the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) was 116.4 million tons (mt). This figure was 5.6 percent higher than that registered during the same month last year.

According to a recently published online report, in the first four months of 2008 the total world crude steel production was 457.3 mt, thereby registering s a 5.7 percent increase over the same period in 2007.

In the first four months of 2008, China produced 169.8 mt of crude steel. This was 9.1 percent more when compared to the same period in 2007. China's moving annual total (MAT) growth rate further slowed to 11.0 percent in the month of April 2008, as compared to its MAT growth rate of 20.6 percent in April 2007. Besides, China's crude steel production for the month of April 2008 was 44.7 mt. This was 10.2 percent more than April 2007.

In April 2008, the overall crude steel production for Asia registered an 8.7 percent increase. The crude steel production during this time was 65.7 mt as compared to 60.5 mt in April 2007.

In the meantime in North America the MAT growth rate continued its upward trend as it reached 3.4 percent during the month of April 2008. It is being estimated that the US production was about 8.3 mt thereby registering a 1.1 percent increase from April 2007. While Mexico's production increased by 10.5 percent from April 2007 to reach 1.6 mt, the production from Canada increased by 3.7 percent from April 2007 to reach 1.4 mt.

Even in the 'Other Europe' region which consists of the seven countries outside the EU the production registered an increase. In April 2008 the production which was 2.7 mt increased by 3.1 percent as compared to that of April 2007. Meanwhile crude steel production in Turkey registered a 2.7 percent increase as compared to the same period last year to reach 2.3 mt. Besides in the first four months of 2008 Turkey produced 8.2 percent more crude steel as compared to the same period last year.

Source: Steel Insights Bureau