Welcome to ISSB - Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

Last Updated : 8 February 2010

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HEADLINES

Global Crude Steel Production Down 8% in 2009 : Full year output of 1220 million tonnes was down just 8% on 2008, but by 21% with Chinese growth of 13% excluded.  2009 global production was the lowest since 2005, when China produced 31% of world steel against 47% in 2009.    EU27 remains a net exporter of steel mill products :  January-October 2009 saw the EU27 record a net export of 7.2 million tonnes, compared to a net import of 5.8 million tonnes in the same 2008 period.  October 2009 exports to Non-EU countries highest for a year.  Chinese Exports Continue to Rise : Exports in each of September-November 2009 exceeded 2 million tonnes, reaching 3 million tonnes in December.  With imports on the wane China returns to being a net exporter in the later part of 2009.  Full year 2009 exports of 21.7 million tonnes were down 61%, while imports of 22 million tonnes were up 43%.   Iron Ore Exports at Record Levels : The top 7 exporters shipped a new record 238 million tonnes in Quarter 3 2009.  January-September 2009 exports are now 3% up on 2008 levels.

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 nine months of 2009 China dropped to 6th largest exporter with shipments down 71% 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 : Q3 - 52.7 million tonnes.
 

Importers
The big three steel importers of recent times, EU27, USA and South Korea saw import levels slashed during 2009.  Over Quarters 1-3 EU27 and US imports fell by over 50%, with South Korea fairing little better - down 41%.  China became the world's biggest steel importer with imports over Quarters 1-3 2009 up 40% on the same 2008 period.  There were sharp increases in exports to Egypt and Algeria, amongst others, while shipments to Vietnam, Iran and India also increased. 

China Returns to Trade Surplus 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 plummeted while imports climbed to leave China a net importer over February-August 2009 for the first time since 2005.  With monthly exports climbing China returned to net exporting over September-December.  2009 exports were down 61% with imports up 43% swinging China 41 million tonnes from a massive net exporter to trade balance.   

 

 

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