German steel output rebounds, down on-year

Crude steel production at German mills in January was 2.92 million tonnes, down by 10.2% on-year, according to steel federation WV Stahl.

However, it is up compared with December’s figure, which was 2.69mt, or down 15% on-year (see Kallanish passim).

Last month, steel production amounted to 2.13mt, less 7.9%. Electric arc furnace production was 792,000 tonnes, down by 16% on-year. Pig iron production in Germany in January decreased by 7.9% on-year to 1.96mt. The output of hot-rolled steel decreased by 13.4% to 2.56mt.

Germany is one of the 10 largest steel producers in the world, according to worldsteel.

In 2022, the country reduced steel production by 8.4% on-year to 36.8mt, taking seventh place in the world ranking.

The figure is still somewhat above the output seen in 2020, the year of Covid-19, but marks the second-lowest production performance since the financial crisis in 2009. Output fell especially after the summer, amid stoppages and production cuts all over Europe, making it the weakest half-year since the beginning of unified German statistics in 1990, WV notes.

The difference in the on-year comparison is nearly equal for the oxygen-route as for the electric arc furnace route, although remarkable differences occurred during the year, it added.

German engineering giant thyssenkrupp may expand its production capacity in India (see Kallanish passim). The company is in talks with the Indian government to explore possibilities for the said expansions.

Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria