World Steel Association estimates that World crude steel production increased by 5 percent in April 2017 compared with April 2016. The crude steel capacity utilization ratio for the month of April was 73.6 percent, an increase of 2.5 percentage points relative to April 2016. Compared with March 2017, the capacity utilization ratio is 1.7 percentage points higher.
France posted the largest increase year over year, producing 1.3 million metric tons of crude steel for the month, an increase of 30.8 percent compared with April 2016.
In the rest of the European Union, Germany posted an increase of 8.1 percent compared with April 2016, producing 3.9 million metric tons for the month. Spain and Italy, however, saw production decrease for the month. Spain produced 1.2 million metric tons of crude steel, a decrease of 2.8 percent compared with April 2016, while Italy produced 2 million metric tons of crude steel, a 6 percent decrease compared with April 2016. Turkey’s crude steel production for April 2017 was 3 million metric tons, or 6.5 percent more than it produced in April 2016.
The U.S. saw a production increase of 1.8 percent relative to April 2016, producing 6.7 million metric tons of crude steel in April 2017. Brazil’s crude steel production was 2.9 million metric tons, an increase of 25.9 percent compared with April 2016. In Asia, China topped the list in terms of production at 72.8 million metric tons in April 2017, an increase of 4.9 percent compared with April 2016. Japan saw a more modest increase of 3 percent relative to April 2016 production, reaching 8.8 million metric tons in April 2017, while South Korea’s production of 5.5 million metric tons was a 2.9 percent decrease relative to April 2016.
Worldsteel members represent approximately 85 percent of the world’s steel production, including more than 160 steel producers with 9 of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations and steel research institutes.
SOURCE: www.recyclingtoday.com
