Metinvest climbs from 45nd to 42th position in 2021 global rating of steelmakers -Worldsteel

MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - The largest Ukrainian mining and metallurgical holding, Metinvest, climbed from the 45th position it held in the global rating of steelmakers in 2020 with 10.16 million tonnes of steel made over the year to the 42nd position in 2021, when it increased production to 11.48 million tonnes.

Ukrainian media outlets said with the reference to the annual report of the World Steel Association (Worldsteel) that the rating was topped by China Baowu Group with 119.95 million tonnes of steel manufactured (as against 115.29 million tonnes in 2020), followed by ArcelorMittal with 79.26 million tonnes (78.46 million tonnes in 2020).

The runners-up are Ansteel Group with 55.65 million tonnes, Nippon Steel with 49.46 million tonnes (41.58 million tonnes) and Shagang Group with 44.23 million tonnes (41.59 million tonnes).

Same as in 2014-2020, there are no Ukrainian companies other than Metinvest in the rating of the world's top 5 steelmakers in 2021.

As for Russian companies, NLMK ranks 21st with 17.29 million tonnes of steel made in 2021 (it held the 22nd position with 15.75-million-tonne output in 2020), Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works goes 32nd with 13.59 million tonnes of steel (37th with 11.57 million tonnes in 2020), Evraz Group comes 34th with 13.57 million tonnes of steel (30th with 13.63 million tonnes), and Severstal ranks 40th with 11.65 million tonnes (40th with 11.31 million tonnes).

According to Worldsteel, Ukraine produced 21.4 million tonnes of steel and ranked 14th in 2021 (as against 12th position and 20.6 million tonnes in 2020), while pig iron production amounted to 21.2 million tonnes (20.4 million tonnes). Ukraine exported 3.2 million tonnes of pig iron last year (vs. 3.1 million tonnes the year before), and apparent consumption of pig iron in Ukraine amounted to 17.9 million tonnes (17.3 million tonnes). Apparent steel consumption stood at 4.8 million tonnes in Ukraine in 2021 (4.6 million tonnes in 2020), while consumption per person reached 110.3 kilograms (105.2 kilograms per person in 2020).

An average global apparent steel consumption reached 232.8 kilograms per person in 2021 (229 kilograms per person the year before), with the highest numbers posted by South Korea - 1075.6 kilograms per person (955 kilograms per person), Taiwan - 885.6 kilograms per person (789 kilograms per person), Czechia - 775.5 kilograms per person (624.3 kilograms per person), China - 666.5 kilograms per person (699.2 kilograms per person), Japan - 456.2 kilograms per person (416.1 kilograms per person), and Austria - 516.9 kilograms per person (405.2 kilograms per person).

In 2021, Ukraine ranked tenth amongst the world's biggest steel exporters by selling 15.7 million tonnes of metal products abroad (it ranked 9th with 15.2-million-tonne exports in 2020). China ranked first with 66.2-million-tonne exports (51.4 million tonnes), and Japan ranked second with 33.8 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, Ukraine ranked fifth on the list of net exporters with 14.4 million tonnes (it was the fourth with 13.9 million tonnes in 2020), while China ranked first with 38.4 million tonnes (fifth with 13.5 million tonnes in 2020), and Japan ranked second with 28.3 million tonnes (second with 24.8 million tonnes).

The largest metal importers of last year are EU-27 with 48.1-million-tonne imports, the United States with 29.7 million tonnes and China with 27.8 million tonnes.

The list of 2021 net importers is topped by EU-27 with 22 million tonnes, the United States with 21.4 million tonnes, and Thailand with 13.7 million tonnes.

Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies that manages assets in every link of the production chain from iron ore and coal mining and coke production to the production of semi-finished products and finished products ranging from steel, pipes and coils, as well as the production of other high value-added products. The group consists of mining and metallurgical enterprises located in Ukraine, Europe and the U.S. and has a sales network covering all key global markets.

The main Metinvest shareholders are SKM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%) that jointly manage the company. LLC Metinvest Holding is the management company of Metinvest Group.