Romania sees increased crude steel output in 2010 on back of export growth

In 2010, Romanian steelmakers' crude steel production amounted to 3.6 million mt - up 41 percent compared to 2009, but down by 22 percent compared to 2008.
 
"This increase was reached only on account of exports. As long as the construction sector in the country does not revive we will not have higher outputs," Romanian Steel Producers' Union UniRomSider said.
 
According to the Romanian newspaper Financiarul, the main player in the Romanian steel market ArcelorMittal Galati, a subsidiary of the world's largest integrated metals and mining company ArcelorMittal, increased its crude steel output in 2010 by 11.2 percent year on year to 1.99 million mt, mainly due to the rebound of consumption in Turkey, Romania's main steel export market. Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal's second subsidiary in Romania, ArcelorMittal Hunedoara, increased its crude steel production in 2010 by 118 percent year on year to 153,000 mt.
 
In 2010, the Russian mining and steel group Mechel, which produces crude steel in Romania at two plants, Mechel Targoviste and Otelu Rosu, saw its crude steel production increase by 38 percent year on year to 827,000 mt, thus exceeding the pre-crisis output level.
 
Another Russian steel group present in Romania, TMK, has reported a 65 percent year on year growth in crude steel production in 2010 at its TMK-Resita subsidiary to 267,000 mt.
 
The strongest recovery, however, was recorded by the Italian steel pipe producer Tenaris, with at least a 283 percent increase in steel production at its steel shop facilities in Calarasi.
 
According to the data issued by the World Steel Association, in January 2011 Romania saw its crude steel output fall by 23.3 percent year on year, producing 220,000 mt compared to 287,000 mt in January 2010.