Italian August steel production shows sign of recovery; AM Italia output still low

Italian crude steel production went up in August for the first time this year, marking a sign of slight recovery, but cumulative production since January was still negative, Italian steel producers association Federacciai data showed Sept. 23.

Crude steel production in August totaled 939,000 mt, up 9.7% on the year-ago month, while production from the beginning of the year to August was down 17% year on year to 12.76 million mt.

Production of long steel products was 10.7% year on year to 487,000 mt, while output for flat products was down 16.2% to 6.8 million mt.

ArcelorMittal Italia, Italian largest flat steel producer, is producing at its lower ever historical level, and Arvedi, Italian second-largest flats producer, stopped production at its 2.8 million mt No. 2 electric-arc furnace for upgrading at the beginning of August.

Arvedi restarted production at its No. 2 EAF in mid-September, while AM Italia is still producing at its lowest capacity. The former Ilva is working with two of the four blasts its cold-end units.

ArcelorMittal Italia workers are planning to go on strike Sept. 24, demanding clarity about their future after production was halted across most of the site. The are meeting Sept. 23 with the Italian minister for economic development, Stefano Patuanelli.

— Annalisa Villa