Worldsteel published December, 2021 and full-year 2021 world crude steel production yesterday. World steel output was 158.7 million metric tonnes in December, 3.0% lower than in December, 2020. Full-year 2021 steel production was 1,911.9 million tonnes, 3.6% higher than in full-year 2020.
China produced 1,032.8 million tonnes of crude steel in 2021, accounting for 54% of world output. China’s production fell 3.0% between 2020 and 2021 while production in the rest of the world rose 12.6%. Asian output outside of China showed an 13% production increase between 2020 and 2021 with India +17.8%, Japan +14.9%, and South Korea +5.2%.
Crude steel production in the European Union 27 countries rose 15.4% with German output +12.3%, Italian output +19.7%, Spain +27.7%, and France +20.3. In North America, crude steel production rose 16.6% year-on-year with US output up 18.3%, Mexico up 9.5%, and Canada up 16.2%.
In addition, production rose between 2020 and 2021 in Russia (+6.1%), Turkey (+12.7%), and Brazil (+14.7%), but fell in Iran (-1.8%).
Based on reported import licenses, US long products imports increased 58% year-on-year from 178,000 short tons in December, 2020 to 280,000 tons in December, 2021. Licenses indicate that the increase was mainly due to higher wire rod imports from Mexico, India, Algeria, South Korea, and Egypt.
US long products imports for the full year 2021 were 50% higher than in 2020 with the highest volume increase coming from wire rod (+73%), followed by rebar (+33%), parallel flange sections (+47%), and light shapes (+75%).
US long products import licenses
January 2015 to December 2021
Short tons
Amazon Tower II biospheres under construction by SounderBruce from Seattle, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org
Based on reported import licenses, US flat products imports rose 85% from 548,000 short tons in December, 2020 to 1,011,000 tons in December, 2021. Hot dip galvanized imports rose by the largest volume, increasing 125% compared to last December due a very large increase from Vietnam, but also from Turkey, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and South Africa. Hot rolled imports rose by almost the same volume as hot dip galvanized due mainly to higher volumes from Mexico, but also from Japan and Vietnam.
Based on January to November 2021 imports and December 2021 import licenses, US flat products imports in 2021 were 72% higher than in 2020 with cut plate imports +72%, hot rolled imports +120%, cold rolled imports +39% and hot dip galvanized imports +36%.
Steel Import Monitor US flat products import licenses
While US steelmaker scrap company acquisitions are in the news, you may be interested in scrap export data available in the Steel Data Room coming from the US Census Bureau’s USA Trade Online. The Data Room holds all US import and export trade data monthly in quantity and value by export district for all the 10-digit HTS codes related to steel and steel raw materials within Chapter 72 all the way back to January, 2013.
As you can see in the chart below, shredded steel scrap export volumes (left axis, yellow bars) have been volatile since the beginning of the year, with October, 2021 export volumes at 470,000 metric tonnes, while the export volume trend over the last 3 years is up. The rise in the export price (right axis, black line) is even more clear, from a value of US$274/metric tonne in October, 2020 to US$440/metric tonne in October, 2021. November, 2021 data will be available from USA Trade Online and in the Steel Data Room by the end of this week.
Worldsteel reported crude steel production in China at 69.3 million metric tonnes in November, 22.0% lower than in November, 2020. Chinese crude steel production in the first eleven months of 2021 was 3.4% lower than in the first eleven months of 2020.
Data from China’s General Administration of Customs show net finished steel exports (exports minus imports) in November at 2.9 million tonnes, 15% higher than in November, 2020. Net finished steel exports in the first eleven months of 2021 were 62% higher than in the same period last year.
China monthly crude steel production, 2006-2021
Thousand metric tonnes
Haikou New East Bridge viewed from the southwest, Xinbu Island, Haikou, Hainan, China by Anna Frodesiak, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
China produced 69.3 million tonnes in November, accounting for 48% of world output and falling 22.0% on November, 2020. In other parts of Asia, Indian steel production rose 2.2% on last November, Japanese output rose 10.7%, and South Korean production climbed 2.7%.
European Union 27 crude steel production rose 3.7% on last November. North American production rose 9.3% with US output up 13.8%. Other significant changes on last November include a 9.4% rise in Russia, a 6.1% increase in Turkey and a 5.2% decline in Iran.
