Czech apparent steel consumption sunk to a ten-year low in the third quarter of 1.37 million tonnes, taking nine-month consumption down by 700,000 tonnes on-year to 4.4mt, says Czech and Slovak steel association Steel Union. Nine-month crude steel output dropped 21% to 2.64mt.
Although nine-month output of all product categories fell, long products were hit the hardest, with production dropping 27% on-year to 1.52mt, while flats and pipe fell 3% and 9.5% respectively to 720,000t and 263,000t. Overall rolled steel output fell 19% to 2.51mt. Pig iron output fell 20% to 2.16mt.
This is attributed to the ongoing crisis in the construction industry, not only in the Czech Republic, but also in neighbouring countries, especially Germany. “The situation has not been normal for a few years, so it is very difficult to predict what will happen next. The construction industry is not in order here, the situation in Germany is not in order. I don’t expect a quick turn for the better, rather sometime in the middle of next year,” Steel Union chairman Daniel Urban says in a note seen by Kallanish.
Czech steel exports also fell in Q3, to 842,000t, their lowest quarterly level since the 2009 crisis. Imports, however, inched up slightly to 1.52mt.
Adam Smith Poland
