Posted on 28 Aug 2018
Crude steel output in the four Middle Eastern countries covered by worldsteel’s monthly report surged 16.8% on-year in July to 2.98 million tonnes, Kallanish learns from worldsteel.
Saudi Arabia’s largest producer, Hadeed, recorded the region’s fastest output growth, at 39.5% on-year to 503,000 tonnes. This took output in the seven months through July up 5.9% on-year to 3.05mt.
Saudi mills have been boosted by the resumption in January of billet exports after a nine-year hiatus. This followed the resumption of rebar and wire rod exports a few months earlier. Saudi exported 153,825t of billet in January-May, as well as 142,855t of wire rod and 129,729t of rebar, according to General Authority for Statistics data.
United Arab Emirates saw output surge 30.9% in July to 274,000t, meaning seven-month output was down -4.1% to 1.86mt after a weak start to the year.
Crude steel in the region’s largest producer, Iran, grew 13.2% in July to 1.98mt, taking seven-month output up 23.6% to 14.46mt. In the four months through 22 July Iranian billet exports rose 35% on-year to 1.27mt, according to Iranian Steel Producers (ISPA) data. Rebar consumption increased 5% to 1.99mt and exports surged 85% to 402,000t. Hot rolled coil consumption fell -5% to 2.52mt, but exports surged 293% to 342,000t.
Production in Qatar fell -4.3% in July to 224,000t, while seven-month output was still up 0.5% to 1.54mt.
Middle Eastern crude steel output in January-July thus rose 15.8% to 20.91mt.
Egyptian output, meanwhile, is estimated to have risen 16.8% in July to 630,000t, taking seven-month output up 13.6% to 4.4mt.
