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Welcome to ISSB - Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

Last Updated : 3 July 2009

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HEADLINES

Global Crude Steel Production : January-May 2009 production of 449 million tonnes was 22% below same period 2008.  China, with production marginally up, accounted for 48% of output.  May 2009  output of 96 million tonnes - highest since October 2008. 

Trade Levels Tumble : Top 10 steel exporters  combined exports of an estimated 43 million tonnes  in Quarter 1 2009.  Down 30% on Quarter 1 2008, down 37%  on Quarter 2 2008, down 41% on Quarter 3 2008 and down 16% on Quarter 4 2008.

Chinese Exports Falter : February-April 2009 saw imports exceed exports for the first time since November 2005.  Four months 2009 exports of 5.7 million tonnes down 62% on the same 2008 period dropping China below Japan, EU27, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and South Korea as largest steel exporter.   China imports record levels of Iron Ore and Scrap. 

US Imports Sink to 16 Year Low : April 2009 imports of 1.09 million tonnes are the lowest since April 1993.  January-April 2009 imports at 5.95 million tonnes down 37% on 2008 equivalent. 
  

[China Steel Image]


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.
 

[China Steel Image]




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. 




[Global Steel Image]



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%.   


 

[Global Steel Image]

 

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 Image]

 

 

Global Steel Price Indicators

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Main Regional Steel Trade Flows

[Global Steel Image]

 

 

 


 

 

 

International Steel Trade

[Global Steel Image]


 

 

 

 



 

 

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