SteelOrbis Shanghai
In the past year, the Chinese steel industry surprised many market players in terms of steel price trend, the profits of the mills and their
production outputs.
Back at the start of 2006, crude steel
production growth was predicted at around 10 percent for the year. As it turned out,
China's crude steel
production for 2006 totaled 418.78 million mt, up 65.33 million mt or 18.5 percent year on year.
For December alone, national crude steel output totaled 38.08 million mt in December, up 6.17 million mt or 19.3 percent year on year, and up 120,000 mt or 0.3 percent month on month. Daily
production in December reached 1.2284 million mt, down 36,900 mt/day compared with the previous month.
Pig iron output totaled 36.63 million mt in December, up 4.95 million mt or 15.6 percent year on year, and up 1.09 million mt or 3.07 percent month on month. Daily
pig iron production in December reached 1.1816 million mt, down 3,100 mt/day compared with the previous month. Total
pig iron output in 2006 reached 404.17 million mt, up 66.76 million mt or 19.8 percent year on year.
Finished steel output in December 2006 totaled 43.92 million mt, up 9.41 million mt or 27.3 percent year on year, and up 2.17 million mt or 5.2 percent month on month. Daily finished steel
production for the month of December reached 1.4168 million mt, down 25,100 mt/day compared with the previous month. Total finished steel output in 2006 amounted to 466.85 million mt, up 91.72 million mt or 24.5 percent year on year.
As regards the major steel products, large and medium profiled bar output totaled 3.04 million mt in December, up 600,000 mt or 24.6 percent compared with the same month of 2005. Total
production in 2006 of the products in question reached 33.03 million mt, up 6.68 million mt or 25.4 percent year on year.
Rebar output in December 2006 totaled 7.47 million mt in December, up 680,000 mt or 10.1 percent compared with the same month of 2005. Total Chinese
rebar production in 2006 reached 83.04 million mt, up 11.81 million mt or 16.6 percent year on year.
Wire rod output totaled 6.55 million mt in December, up 790,000 mt or 13.7 percent compared with the same month of 2005. Total
wire rod production in 2006 reached 71.51 million mt, up 11.05 million mt or 18.3 percent year on year.
December output of medium, heavy, and extremely heavy
plate totaled 3.63 million mt, up 570,000 mt or 18.6 percent compared with the same month of the previous year. Total
production in 2006 for the said products reached 40.23 million mt, up 7.77 million mt or 23.9 percent year on year.
HR coil output totaled 6.53 million mt in December, up 2.01 million mt or 44.5 percent compared with the same period of the previous year. Total HR coil
production in 2006 reached 68.2 million mt, up 16.68 million mt or 32.4 percent year on year.
CR coil output totaled 2.74 million mt in December, up 1.06 million mt or 63.1 percent compared with the same month of the year before. Total CR coil
production in 2006 reached 26.05 million mt, up 8.8 million mt or 51 percent year on year.
HR narrow steel strip output totaled 3.76 million mt in December, up 1.71 million mt or 83 percent compared with December 2005. Total
production of said product in 2006 reached 36.41 million mt, up 7.4 million mt or 25.5 percent year on year.
Galvanized sheet (coil) output totaled 1.41 million mt in December, up 570,000 mt or 67.4 percent compared with the same month of the previous year. Total
production in 2006 of
galvanized sheet (coil) reached 13.98 million mt, up 4.25 million mt or 43.6 percent year on year.
Seamless steel
pipe output totaled 1.34 million mt in December, up 300,000 mt or 29.4 percent compared with December 2005. Total seamless steel
pipe production in 2006 reached 14.84 million mt, up 3.4 million mt or 29.8 percent year on year.
Welded steel
pipe output totaled 2.1 million mt in December, up 210,000 mt or 10.9 percent compared with December 2005. Total
production in 2006 reached 20.09 million mt, up 2.62 million mt or 15 percent year on year.
In December,
China's
iron ore output totaled 60.91 million mt, up 16.54 million mt or 37.3 percent compared with December 2005. Total
iron ore output in 2006 reached 588.17 million mt, up 161.94 million mt or 38 percent year on year.
China's coke output for December 2006 totaled 27.36 million mt, up 3.8 million mt or 16.1 percent compared with December 2005. Total coke
production in 2006 reached 280.54 million mt, up 41.51 million mt or 17.4 percent year on year.
Ferroalloy output totaled 1.54 million mt in December, up 300,000 mt or 24 percent compared with December 2005. Total ferroalloy
production in 2006 reached 14.33 million mt, up 3.39 million mt or 30.9 percent year on year.
China's crude steel supply to the domestic market totaled 33.34 million mt in December, up 190,000 mt or 0.6 percent month on month. The average daily supply in December reached 1.0755 million mt, down 29,500 mt/day month on month.
China's apparent crude steel
consumption in 2006 totaled 384.32 million mt, up 31.05 million mt or 8.8 percent year on year. The growth was down 11.3 percentage points compared with 2005.