13 Aug 2009 09:47

China's steel product output up 7.6 pct year-on-year in first seven months

Shanghai. August 13. INTERFAX-CHINA - China produced 377.84 million tons of steel products during the first seven months of this year, up 7.6 percent from the same period last year, according to figures released by Shanghai-based Mysteel Information on Aug. 11.

The country's steel product output in July alone reached 60.91 million tons, dipping by 1.16 percent from June.

China produced 68.23 million tons of rebar during the January to July period, up 22.9 percent on an annual basis, while its July production of rebar fell by 4.75 percent on a monthly basis to 10.43 million tons.

Thanks to government-backed infrastructure construction projects, the output volume of heavy rail from January to July continued to see the largest year-on-year increase compared with that of other products, jumping by 94.2 percent to 2.78 million tons in the period.

Hu Yanping, an industry analyst with Umetal, told Interfax on Aug. 13 that China's production of certain steel products including rebar may not further expand on a monthly basis over the rest of the year, but will remain at current high levels, as the production capacity utilization rates of steel mills are already very high.

China's iron ore production for the seven-month period fell by 2.1 percent on an annual basis to 455.79 million tons.

The following table shows China's steel-related output in July and the first seven months of 2009.

China's steel-related output, July and the first seven months of 2009

Item Output, Jul 2009 (mln tons) M-o-m change (%) Output, Jan - Jul, 2009 (mln tons) Y-o-y change (%)
Iron ore 76.87 -7.69 455.79 -2.10
Ferroalloy 1.89 -12.45 11.24 0.80
Coke 31.88 0.51 190.48 -3.50
Pig iron 48.50 2.05 308.79 7.20
Crude steel 50.68 2.54 317.31 2.90
Steel products 60.91 -1.16 377.84 7.60
Steel rail 0.59 0.68 3.72 43.70
Heavy rail 0.49 22.50 2.78 94.20
Light rail 0.07 -24.44 0.56 -23.10
Large section 0.77 9.57 5.18 -11.20
Middle and small section 3.87 -5.96 23.18 27.50
Bar 4.79 -2.33 30.20 -1.00
Rebar 10.43 -4.75 68.23 22.90
Wire 8.59 -1.33 53.23 10.70
Extra thick plate 0.44 10.75 2.79 5.50
Thick plate 1.63 3.95 10.50 -10.80
Medium sheet 3.21 3.95 19.59 -11.10
Hot-rolled sheet 0.53 20.00 3.03 77.30
Cold-rolled sheet 1.52 17.15 8.77 3.10
Medium wide strip 7.20 5.76 45.09 -4.20
Hot-rolled wide strip 2.57 -4.54 15.06 5.50
Cold-rolled wide strip 1.94 5.49 11.44 0.50
Hot-rolled narrow strip 4.42 -1.78 25.23 16.10
Cold-rolled narrow strip 0.55 -26.35 3.52 3.60
Galvanized plate 1.77 1.14 10.19 2.50
Coated plate 0.43 -1.82 2.42 -7.70
Electric steel plate 0.38 14.24 2.29 -9.80
Seamless steel pipe 1.73 -8.47 11.82 0.20
Welded steel pipe 2.60 -5.69 16.12 15.20
Other steel products 0.96 -11.74 6.24 19.80

Source: Mysteel

Note: Monthly changes were calculated using figures previously released by Mysteel.

-GD