China's crude steel production in December 2009 totaled 47.66 million mt, up 10.01 million mt or 26.59 percent year on year. Average daily crude steel production during the month in question reached 1.54 million mt, down by 37,900 mt or 2.4 percent month on month. Meanwhile, domestic crude steel production for the whole of 2009 reached 567.84 million mt, up 67.53 million mt or 13.05 percent year on year.
Taking imports and exports into consideration, the newly-added supply of crude steel to China's market in December totaled 45.7 million mt, up 10.41 million mt or 29.38 percent year on year. From January to December inclusive, the newly-added crude steel supply reached 560.91 million mt, up 36.86 million mt or 7.03 percent year on year.
In the month of December, China's exports of crude steel accounted for 6.99 percent of total national crude steel production; meanwhile, crude steel exports in 2009 constituted 4.32 percent of total domestic production during the year.
China's pig iron production in December totaled 44.72 million mt, up 8.83 million mt or 24.59 percent year on year. Meanwhile, total pig iron production in the whole of 2009 reached 543.75 million mt, up 74.46 million mt or 15.87 percent year on year.
China's finished steel production for December totaled 64.64 million mt, up 15.46 million mt or 31.44 percent year on year. On the other hand, national finished steel production for the whole of 2009 reached 692.44 million mt, up 108.1 million mt or 18.5 percent year on year.
The breakdown of China's finished steel production in December according to the various products is as follows:
