According to the preliminary data released by the World Steel Association (worldsteel), global direct reduced iron (DRI) production in the countries reporting to worldsteel in 2012 declined to 55.4 million metric tons, decreasing by 12.8 percent compared to 2011. World DRI output had increased by 12.2 percent in 2011 on year-on-year basis.
The decrease in 2012 was mainly due to the year-on-year fall in India's DRI production. The worldsteel data show that India was the largest DRI producer among the countries surveyed in 2012. India's estimated DRI output was 19.8 million metric tons in the given year, decreasing by 28.2 percent compared to 2011 levels, followed by Iran with a DRI output of 11.6 million mt, up 14.1 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in December 2012, world DRI output totaled 4.67 million metric tons, increasing 2.5 percent as compared to the previous month and down by 12.4 percent year on year.
The top 10 DRI producing countries in 2012* are as follows:
Country | Volume (x 1,000 mt) | Y-o-y change (%) |
India | 19,799 | -28.2 |
Iran | 11,582 | 14.1 |
Mexico | 5,531 | -7 |
Saudi Arabia | 5,153 | - |
Venezuela | 4,594 | 2.8 |
Egypt | 3,068 | 4.6 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 1,699 | -11.3 |
Argentina | 1,607 | -2.6 |
South Africa | 1,568 | 12 |
Canada | 842 | 19.9 |
*The 11 countries reporting to worldsteel accounted for approximately 83 percent of total world direct reduced iron production in 2010.