Episode 2 of the podcast The Green Steel Challenge was released yesterday featuring a fascinating interview with Stephen Montague, CEO at Midrex.
The podcasts are produced by the Korf Foundation and Kallanish Commodities and the discussion is all about how exactly we can deliver Green Steel. Other episodes will include Dave Stickler at Hybar, Sajjan Jindal at JSW Steel, and Giacomo Mareschi Danieli at Danieli Group. Recordings are ongoing.
Listen to leaders of the steel industry explain what they are doing to decarbonize.
It’s launch day! Check out the 1st episode of the new podcast The Green Steel Challenge including discussions with steel industry leaders about the path to steelmaking decarbonization. Don’t miss First River Consulting partner James Moss interviewing Edwin Basson and Asa Ekdahl.
Future episodes will include Stephen Montague from Midrex, David Stickler from Hybar, Sajjan Jindal from JSW Steel, and Giacomo Mareschi Danieli from The Danieli Group.
Worldsteel reported October crude steel production in China at 79.1 million metric tonnes, 1.8% lower than in October, 2022. Chinese production in the first ten months of 2023 was 1.1% higher than in the first ten months of 2022.
Data from China’s General Administration of Customs show China’s net finished steel exports (exports minus imports) rose 65% compared to October last year. Net finished steel exports in the first ten months of 2023 were 45% higher than in the same period last year.
China monthly crude steel production
Thousand metric tonnes
Dalian, Liaoning, China: Dalian International Conference Center during the construction phase. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas from Wikimedia Commons.
China produced 79.1 million tonnes in October, accounting for 53% of world output and falling 1.8% compared to October, 2022. World crude steel production outside China rose 0.8% following increases mainly in India (+15.1%), Russia (estimated 9.5%) and South Korea (+6.5%).
Crude steel production in the first ten months of 2023 was 0.2% lower than in the same period last year.
Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports fell 11% from 325,000 short tons in October, 2022 to 291,000 tons last month. According to import licenses, the largest declines came from parallel flange sections, where volumes declined from South Korea, Spain, and the UAE, and rebar, where imports dropped from Mexico, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.
Long products imports in the first ten months of 2023 were 18% lower than in the same period last year with wire rod showing the highest volume and percentage decline (-560,000 tons and -37%).
US long products import licenses
January 2015 to October 2023
Short tons
“Dresden, renovation of the Augustus Bridge April 2018, first bridge arch, steel reinforcement” by Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Based on reported import licenses, US flat products imports fell 11% from 706,000 short tons in October, 2022 to 631,000 tons in October, 2023. Cold rolled imports fell by the highest volume following lower volumes from Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, and Canada. In contrast, cut plate imports rose from countries including Romania, Germany, Canada, and Malaysia.
Flat products imports in the first ten months of 2023 were 19% lower than in the same period last year with cold rolled -27%, hot dip galvanized -25%, hot rolled -17%, but cut plate +23%.
US flat products import licenses
January 2016 to October 2023
Short tons
Rolling process at NLMK Verona (NLMK Group) from Worldsteel Image Library
