Welcome to ISSB - Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

Last Updated : 12 March 2010

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HEADLINES

Global Crude Steel Production Down 8% in 2009 : Full year 2009 output of 1223 million tonnes was down just 8% on 2008, but by 21% with Chinese growth of 13% excluded.  January 2010 sees global production of 109 million tonnes with China up 18% on January 2009 and the rest of the world up 33%.    EU27 Remains a Net Exporter of Steel Mill Products :  January-November 2009 saw the EU27 record a net export of 7.9 million tonnes, compared to a net import of 6.5 million tonnes in the same 2008 period, a 14.4 million tonnes swing away from net imports.  Chinese Export Rise Stutters : Having climbed over September-December 2009 Chinese steel exports fell back to 2.4 million tonnes in January 2010.  China returned 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%.   US 2009 Steel Imports Lowest since 1991 : Full year 2009 steel imports of 14.3 million tonnes down 50% exports down 30% to 8.8 million tonnes.  Net imports in 2009 down 10.3 million tonnes on 2008.

TRADE DATA 

ISSB maintains a fully detailed database of the imports and exports of steel and steelmaking raw materials for more than 50 major steelmaking nations, collectively accounting for 97% of global steel output.  This high level of coverage also allows an accurate assessment of the trade flows for those countries for which we cannot obtain national trade data.

The World's Top Trading Countries

Exporters 
China was the world's largest steel exporter in 2006, 2007 and 2008 but dropped to 5th largest exporter in 2009 with shipments down 61% on 2008.  Combined shipments by the top ten steel exporters, accounting for approx. 83% of all trade, reached a 2008 peak in Q3 of 72.5 million tonnes before dropping to Q4 of 50.9 million tonnes.  2009 has seen trade levels stage a partial recovery; Q1 - 43.2 million tonnes : Q2 - 46.7 million tonnes : Q3 - 52.8 million tonnes : Q4 - 56.9 million tonnes (estimated).
 

Importers
The big three steel importers of recent times, EU27, USA and South Korea saw import levels slashed during 2009.  EU27 and US imports both halved, with South Korea down 29%.  China became the world's biggest steel importer with 2009 imports 43% higher than in 2008.  Exports to Vietnam, Iran and India increased, while those to the UAE fell 57%. 

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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