Worldsteel published March world crude steel production yesterday. World steel output was 147.1 million metric tonnes, 6.0% lower than in March 2019. Crude steel production in the first three months of 2020 was 1.3% lower than in the same period last year.
China accounted for 54% of world output in March with production of 79.0 million tonnes, 1.7% lower than in March 2019. Asian output outside of China fell 10.5% on lower production in India (-13.9%), Japan (-9.7%), South Korea (-7.9%) and Taiwan (-22.2%).
European Union crude steel production dropped 20.4% with the largest volume declines coming from Italy (-40.2%) and Germany (-20.9%). In North America, US output fell 6.0%, Mexican production was down 20.6%, and Canada showed a 15.3% decline.
Hot slab in the reheating furnace in the plate mill at POSCO Pohang Steelworks, South Korea from Worldsteel Image Library by worldsteel / Seong Joon Cho
Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports fell 19% from 268,000 short tons in March 2019 to 216,000 tons in March this year. The decline was mainly due to lower parallel flange sections imports from Luxembourg and South Korea, though wire rod and rebar imports also fell significantly.
Based on January and February imports and March import licenses, long products imports so far this year were 18% lower than in the same period last year with the largest import volume declines from wire rod and rebar.
SIMA US long products import licenses
January 2014 to March 2020
Short tons
Sheet pile image from Wikimedia Commons by Sbhrus / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
Based on reported import licenses, US flat products imports fell 7% from 606,000 short tons in March 2019 to 565,000 tons in March this year. The decline was mainly due to lower hot roll imports from Germany in the form of plates in coils, as well as lower cold roll imports from Vietnam, Taiwan, Russia, and the UK.
Based on January and February imports and March import licenses, flat products imports so far this year were 13% lower than in the same period last year with the largest import volume declines coming from hot roll and cold roll.
SIMA US flat products imports licenses
January 2014 to March 2020
Short tons
Coils in transit from Wikimedia Commons by Peatala36 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Innofreight_Coil_Palette_1.jpg
Worldsteel reported crude steel production in China at 74.8 million metric tonnes in February, 5.0% higher than in February 2019. Chinese production in the first two months of 2020 was 3.1% higher than in the same period last year.
China monthly crude steel production
Thousand metric tonnes
“Haikou Tower on November 24, 2017, Haikou, Hainan, China ” from Wikimedia Commons by Anna Frodesiak / CC0
China accounted for 52% of world output in February with production of 74.8 million tonnes, 5.0% higher than in February 2019. Asian output outside of China rose 3.1%, with a significant 24.4% rise in Vietnam. European Union production (including the UK for now) fell 9.0% following a 12.0% decline in Germany, a 21.6% drop in Poland, and a 23.9% fall in Belgium.
In the Americas, US output rose 3.0%, Mexican production fell 19.3% and Canadian output dropped 2.5%. In addition, Turkish crude steel production rose 8.2% and Iranian output was up 34.3%.
Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports rose 0.2% from 248,000 short tons in February 2019 to 249,000 tons in February this year. A decline in wire rod, rebar, and all other structural shapes imports was offset by an increase in parallel flange sections and structural angles and channels imports.
Based on January imports and February import licenses, long products imports so far this year were 16% lower than in the same period last year with the largest import volume decline coming from wire rod.
SIMA US long products import licenses
January 2014 to February 2020
Short tons
Stack of finished steel wire rod coils in storage at Badische Stahlwerke, Kehl from Worldsteel Image Library by worldsteel / Gregor Schlaeger
