Spain’s crude steel production increased 22% year on year in November 2023 to 1.06 million mt taking underlying production to an eight-month high, data from steel group Unesid showed Jan. 10.
Production over the 12 months to November was 11.3 million mt, the most since March 2023, although still not much above the post-pandemic low of 10.8 million mt reached in July 2023.
Spanish scrap recycling volume also firmed in November, rising 16% year on year to 878,000 mt, Unesid said.
The figure was an eight-month high, as was trailing 12-month volume, which reached 9.15 million mt.
Spain is Europe’s fourth largest steel producer, behind Germany, Italy, France with a capacity of nearly 23 million mt/year.
Layoffs extended
With the slow recovery, integrated steel producer ArcelorMittal said Dec. 28 it extended a temporary lay-off scheme announced in October, which it blamed on high level of imports and low demand.
The lay-off scheme was due to end Jan. 1 but has been extended for 12 months, it said, with all agreed conditions remaining in place.
The plants impacted are Asturias, Sagunto, Extebarri and Lesaka with 7,000 workers in total, it said. AM produces around 40% of Spain’s annual crude steel volume, besides having downstream production in longs and sheet steel, among others.
Hot-rolled coil CIF Antwerp was assessed by Platts for S&P Global Commodity Insights at a midpoint $721.12/mt Jan. 9, up 4% from one month prior.
Author Gianluca Baratti
