Southeast Europe steel output decreases in November

Southeast Europe (SEE) crude steel production decreased in November compared with the same month of 2021, according to the latest worldsteel data monitored by Kallanish. Regional output amounted to 380,165 tonnes, down by 11.7% year-on-year.

Output was also less than in October, when SEE production was 385,700t (see Kallanish passim).

In January-November, regional production was at 4.34 million tonnes, down by 4.8% on-year.

Serbia was again the largest steel producer among the seven countries of SEE, which also include Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Moldova.

Serbia’s production of crude steel totalled 1.57mt in January-November, up by 2.1%.

Second-largest producer in the region Bosnia and Herzegovina saw crude steel output at 820,000t, more 13.6% on-year.

Third-largest steel producer Slovenia saw eleven-month production drop by 6.7% to 565,243t.

Fourth-largest steel producer Moldova saw its crude steel output down by 0.3% on-year at 513,400t.

Fifth-largest Bulgaria’s production was 482,200t, down by 4.5%.

North Macedonia produced 232,374t, less by 8.8% on January-November 2021, and Croatia produced 154,532t, down by 2.3%.

Special steelmaker Slovenian Steel Group (SIJ) said earlier it anticipated a 40% reduction in production volumes in the fourth quarter due to extremely high energy costs and customers being unlikely to accept still higher steel prices (see Kallanish passim).

HBIS Group Serbia Iron & Steel’s production in January-September was stable and the firm has increased exports to the EU, despite the energy crisis and global logistical problems. In July, the plant nevertheless idled blast furnace No.1 at its Smederevo works due to low global demand for steel products (see Kallanish passim).

Svetoslav Abrossimov Bulgaria