Welcome to ISSB - Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

Last Updated : 3 July 2009

Need information on exports & imports? Why not see if we can help? Phone ISSB on +44 (0) 20 7343 3916 or phil.hunt@issb.co.uk for further information.

HEADLINES

The World's Top Trading Countries

Exporters 
China became the world's largest exporter in 2006 and held that position in 2007 and again in 2008 despite exports falling 14% to 56.2 million tonnes.  After peaking in Quarter 3 2008 at 21.3 million tonnes Chinese exports fell to under 10 million tonnes in Quarter 4.  Quarter 1 2009 saw China drop to 6th with just 4.5 million tonnes shipped.  Combined shipments by the top ten steel exporters show quarterly totals of :-  Qtr 1 - 61.7 million tonnes : Qtr 2 - 68.4 million tonnes : Qtr 3 - 72.4 million tonnes : Qtr 4 - 50.6 million tonnes : Qtr 1 2009 - 43.2 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.  Quarter 1 2009 has seen trade levels fall sharply with exports to the UAE particularly hard hit and dropping from top 10 importers. 

Chinese Steel Exports Slow in 2008

Chinese steel exports in 2008 reached 56.2 million tonnes, down 14% on 2007's 65.2 million tonnes.  Imports fell 9%, from 16.9 to 15.4 million tonnes to leave China with a steel surplus of 40.8 million tonnes (US$ 36 billion).  China steel exports reached a record level in August 2008 but then fell sharply away during the rest of the year.  During 2008 about 50% of China's exports went to other Asian markets with 12% to the EU27, 12% to the Middle East and 8% to the USA.  China's exports in 2008, as a percentage of world steel production, was about 11%.   

The Race to Consolidate

Chinese mills now dominate the list of the world's biggest producers

In 2008 the top 15 steel producers accounted for 36% of world production - 10 years ago the top 15 made just over 25% of world production.  Arcelor-Mittal remains by far the biggest producer but with output down 11% in 2008 its share of world output fell by 1% to 8%.  Nippon Steel remains the 2nd biggest producer but now only marginally ahead of Baosteel which, helped by the acquisition of Guangdong, increased its output 24% in 2008.  Indeed 6 of the top 10 producers are now Chinese, helped by a spate of merger and acquisition activity in 2008. 
Click on Steel News for latest background on steelmaking consolidation. 

 

 

Global Steel Price Indicators

Similar price indicators are available from ISSB
      .... for other products
           .... and other markets
                .... and in other currencies.

 

Main Regional Steel Trade Flows

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Steel Trade

 

 

 

 

 

 

statistiques en acier
Stahlstatistiken
acciaio statistiche
as estatísticas do aço 
estadísticas de acero
стальные статистик 
鋼鉄統計量
강철 통계
إحصاءات الصلب

Disclaimer : While ISSB Limited tries to ensure that the information contained on this site is accurate and correct, ISSB Limited accepts no responsibility for and excludes all of its liability to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law for any and/or all loss or damage whatsoever or howsoever caused from use of the information contained in or on this site. Your agreement to this condition is implicit by your use of this website / subscription service.