Visit the Tandler Precision web site

World steel production rises

A MEPS (International) product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 11, 2007

MEPS (International) predicts global steel output rising to approximately 1314 million tonnes in 2007 - more than 5.5% up on the year earlier figure.

World crude steel production in the first quarter of this year is expected to expand by around 10% compared to the same period in 2006.

This rate of growth is not likely to extend for the full year.

MEPS (International) predicts global steel output rising to approximately 1314 million tonnes in 2007 - more than 5.5% up on the year earlier figure.

Blast furnace iron production is forecast to reach in excess of 931 million tonnes.

This represents a gain of more than 6.5% over the 2006 outturn.

This higher figure is the result of the integrated blast furnace/oxygen steelmaking route being the preferred process for many of the new installations.

Direct reduced ironmaking is also expected to increase at a similar rate to blast furnace iron production from new capacity built in the Middle East and Asia.

Scrap-based electric melting is likely to be the loser due to reduced availability of the raw material.

Approximately a 60 of the 70 million tonne increase in crude steel output this year will come from the Asian producers.

Steelmakers in the former USSR and South America will also make significant contributions.

NAFTA is the only major region expected to show a decrease in steel manufacturing in 2007.

The outturn for steel, last year, in the EU-15 member states was slightly higher than the group's prognosis in the last issue.

The forecast for 2007 has been uprated to in excess of 175 million tonnes.

This is due, in part, to a change in market sentiment in recent months as the threat from low-priced imports receded.

This year's steel output gain in the sub region is anticipated to be 2 million tonnes.

In the remainder of non-EU Europe, steel output in 2007 is forecast to expand by more than 1.4 million tonnes to reach 29.4 million tonnes.

This equates to a gain of 5%.

An increase in steel production of 5.2 million tonnes is forecast for the former USSR in 2007.

The main driver for this 4.3 % growth is expanding demand from Russia.

However, an advance is also anticipated in Ukraine.

Crude steel production is forecast to decline in 2007 in the NAFTA region by 4.5 million tonnes (3.5 %).

Output in the US and Canada is likely to decrease but Mexican steel making should improve.

Raw steel output in South America should reach 48.5 million tonnes in 2007 - a year on year increase of 3.2 million tonnes (7%).

Most of the gain will come from Brazil after a difficult first half in 2006.

African crude steel production in 2007 is now forecast to outstrip the figure recorded a year earlier.

An increase of more than 1 million tonnes is anticipated as consumption in Egypt and South Africa expands at a significant rate.

Steel demand in the Middle East is rising much faster than the steel mill's ability to supply.

Local steel manufacturers are trying to meet customer requirements but output is limited due to a lack of investment in recent years.

The outturn in 2007 is forecast to increase by almost 1 million tonnes - up 6.0% compared to the year earlier figure.

Asian crude steel production in 2007 is forecast to increase by almost 60 million tonnes (approximately 9%), compared to 2006.

This continues the pattern over the past several years.

The main contributors are the Chinese and Indian mills.

However, smaller gains are also anticipated in Japan and South Korea.

Output in the Oceania region is expected to be little changed in 2007 from the outturn a year earlier.

Send to a friend Send to a friend
Print this page Print this page
Bookmark this page Bookmark this page

Not what you're looking for? Search the site.

Back to top Back to top

Google Ads

 

Contact MEPS (International)

Contact MEPS (International)

Company profile and news

Related Stories

Contact MEPS (International)

 

Newsletter sign up

Request your free weekly copy of the Engineeringtalk email newsletter ...

Sign up now Sign up now

Visit the Tandler Precision web site

Articles by product category

All suppliers A - Z

A Pro-talk Publication

A Pro-talk publication