SA steel output fell in 2009

Johannesburg - Crude steel production in South Africa grew 43.4% year-on-year in November to an estimated 680 000 metric tons from 474 000 metric tons in November last year, the World Steel Association said on Monday.

But production out of South Africa in the 11 months to end November 2009 was 16.1% lower at 6.8 million metric tons compared to 8.1 million metric tons for the 11 months to end November 2008.

Releasing global crude steel production data for November, the association said African crude steel production was 14.7% up at 1.26 million metric tons (mmt) in November but 16% lower at 13.5 mmt for the 11 months to end November 2009.

World crude steel production for the 66 countries reporting to the World Steel Association was 107.5 mmt in November 2009.

This is 24.2% higher than November 2008. November 2009 is the third month in a row showing a positive year-on-year growth rate since September 2008.

"Most major steel-producing countries showed an increase in crude steel production in November 2009 compared to the same month last year," the association reported.

China's crude steel production for November 2009 was 47.3 mmt, 37.4% higher than November 2008.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan produced 8.9 mmt of crude steel in November 2009, up by 0.5% compared to the same month last year. South Korea showed an increase of 7.5% from November 2008, producing 4.3 mmt of crude steel in November 2009.

In the European Union, Germany's crude steel production was 3.5 mmt in November 2009, an increase of 8.0% from November 2008.

Italy produced 1.9 mmt in November 2009, down by -17.2% from November 2008.

Russia's crude steel production for November 2009 was 5.3 mmt, an increase of 42.6% compared to November 2008 while the Ukraine produced 2.7 mmt in November 2009, 67.1% higher than the same month last year.

Turkey produced 2.1 mmt of crude steel in November 2009, an 18.3% increase from November 2008.

The US produced 6.0 mmt of crude steel in November 2009, an increase of 26.9% compared to the same month last year. Brazil's crude steel production in November 2009 was 2.7 mmt, 15.1% higher than November 2008.

Total crude steel production in the 66 reporting countries for the first 11 months of 2009 was 1,090 mmt, a -10.8% decrease over the same period of 2008.

The world crude steel capacity utilisation ratio in November 2009 was 75%, a slight decline from 76.9% in October 2009.

Compared to November 2008, the utilisation ratio in November 2009 increased by 10.4 percentage points.

- I-Net Bridge