Global pig iron output dips in April

Global pig iron production declined slightly, by 0.7% on-month, but rose 11.2% on-year to 113.4 million tonnes in April. Four-month output rose 8.3% on-year to 458.2mt.

China produced 76mt of pig iron in April, 1.6% up on-month and 3.8% up on-year, while January-April output gained 8.7% on-year at 306.6mt.

India’s output declined 12.6% on-month but rose 86.8% on-year to 6.05mt, as four-month output rose 2.7% on-year to 25.9mt.

All Asian iron producing countries reduced output of pig iron to various degrees, expect for Iran, which kept volumes flat on-month. This reduced combined Asian output in April by 0.3% on-month to 92.8mt. Year-to-date output grew, however, by 8.7% to 376.4mt, Kallanish notes.

EU-27 ironmakers also cut output in April, which at 6.47mt was 6% down on-month but rose 22.2% on-year, as year-to-date volumes rose 5.5% on-year to 26mt. The decline was on the back of slight output decreases in every country, with Germany reducing output the most, by 10% on-month, to 2.1mt.

Turkey also cut April output by 7.8% on-month to 0.85mt, but increased it on-year by 16.9%. January-April pig iron output volumes rose 4.8% on-year to 3.52mt.

The descending output trend also prevailed among CIS producers, whose combined output of 6.6mt was 3.1% down on-month, but rose 14.3% on-year, with Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan all reducing output. Year-to-date output rose 3.9% on-year to 26mt.

North America’s pig iron output declined 2.3% on-month but rose 60.2% on-year to 2.67mt, bringing total January-April output up 10.9% on-year to 10.4mt.

Meanwhile, South American output rose 6.6% on-month in April to 2.6mt, as Brazil ramped up production by 7.9% on-month to 2.35mt. Year-to-date South American output rose 12.6% to 10.2mt.

Katya Ourakova UK