World pig iron output still lags behind 2019

Global pig iron output increased on-month in August but was flat on-year. August output totalled 112.51 million tonnes, 1.7% up on-month. At 857mt, however, January-August output was still -2.6% down on-year, worldsteel data show.

The EU's pig iron output increased by the most in August, rising 4.3% on-month to 5.43mt, but it was still -20.9% down on-year. German output increased 17.7% on-month to 1.82mt, although it was down on-year by -15%. EU eight-month output continues to lag behind at 46.91mt, down -21.4% on-year.

Turkey reduced pig iron output in August by -2.3% on-month but increased it 10.7% on-year at 0.91mt. Eight-month output rose 1.1% to 6.73mt, Kallanish notes.

Asia's pig iron output continued to rise in August, gaining 0.9% on-month and 2% on-year, but eight-month output was still slightly, -0.2%, down on-year at 711.6mt.

China's ironmakers produced 78.5mt of pig iron in August, 0.5% up on-month and 5% up on-year, marking another new record and pushing year-to-date output up 3.4% to 589.4mt. India added 3.2% on-month in August at 5.94mt, 0.4% up on-year, with eight-month output down -15.6% at 42.6mt. Japan's output rose 9% on-month in August to 4.8mt, while South Korea added 4.7% on-month to 4.1mt.

CIS August on-month pig iron output growth was determined by Ukraine in August, as Russia and Kazakhstan kept output flat on-month at 4.45mt and 0.21mt, respectively. Ukraine increased production by 3% on-month to 1.81mt, but it was -0.9% down on-year. Eight-month CIS production exceeded 2019's volumes by 1.9% as it rose to 50.52mt.

North America's output notched up 4.4% on-month to 2.03mt, while South American output gained 6.9% on-month at 2.38mt. The US drove North America's increase as it grew output 6.6% on-month to 1.4mt, while, in South America, Brazil increased output by 6.6% on-month to 2.12mt and Argentina by 11.6% to 0.2mt.

Source : Kallanish