Welcome to ISSB - Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

Last Updated : 20 November 2009

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HEADLINES

Global Crude Steel Production on Rising Trend : January-October 2009 production of 982 million tonnes was 14% below same period 2008 with October production of 112 million tonnes being the highest since August 2008.  China ten months 2009 production was up 10% at over 50 million tonnes per month, Ocober production excluding China at 60 million tonnes was the highest for a year.    US Imports Plummet :  Quarter 2 and 3 2009 saw the lowest quarterly US imports in ISSB records going back to 1989.  April-September 2009 imports of just 5.5 million tonnes were down by 62% on the same 2008 period.  US was a net exporter of flat products in Quarter 3. Chinese Exports Start to Rise : Exports of 1.9 million tonnes in August followed by 2.2 million tonnes in September, the first time over 2 million tonnes in a month this year and higher than imports for the first time since January.   Japanese Exports at Record Levels : September 2009 exports of 3.5 million tonnes were the third highest month ever and took Quarter 3 exports to 9.9 million tonnes, the second highest ever.

LATEST TRADE DATA 

The World's Top Trading Countries

Exporters 
China was the world's largest steel exporter in 2006, 2007 and 2008 but in the first six months of 2009 China dropped to 7th largest exporter with shipments down 68% on 2008.  Combined shipments by the top ten steel exporters show quarterly totals of :-  2008 Q1 - 61.7 million tonnes : Q2 - 68.4 million tonnes : Q3 - 72.4 million tonnes : Q4 - 50.9 million tonnes : 2009 Q1 - 43.2 million tonnes : Q2 - 46.7 million tonnes.
 

Importers
EU27 imports surged 23% in 2007 to 48.7 million tonnes but fell back 18% in 2008 to 39.7 million tonnes.  US imports fell 27% to 29.5 million tonnes in 2007 and a further 4% in 2008 to 28.4 million tonnes.  South Korea's  2008 imports rose 9% to 28.1 million tonnes bringing it very close to surpassing USA as 2nd largest importer.  The first six months of 2009 has seen trade levels fall sharply with a few exceptions.  Chinese imports have risen, as have exports to Egypt, India and Algeria. 

China Returns to Trade Deficit in Steel

Chinese steel exports in 2008 reached 56.2 million tonnes, down 14% on 2007's 65.2 million tonnes, while 2008  imports fell 9% to 15.4 million tonnes leaving China with a trade surplus in 2008 of 40.8 million tonnes (US$ 36 billion).  After reaching a record level of 7.8 million tonnes in August 2008 Chinese exports have since plummeted to just over 1 million tonnes per month.  With 2009 year to date exports down by two thirds on 2008 levels and imports up by a quarter China has returned to trade deficit in steel for the first time since 2005.   

 

 

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