【SMM Steel】North Africa's LISCO completes commissioning of new cold rolling mill

【SMM Steel】India's JSW Steel reported consolidated crude steel production of 2.118 million tonnes in April, down 1% from 2.14 million tonnes a year earlier. Indian operations contributed 2.04 million tonnes, down 1% y-o-y, while its Ohio facility in the US produced 78,000 tonnes, down 7% y-o-y. The decline was primarily due to the shutdown of Blast Furnace 3 at Vijayanagar for a capacity upgrade, which is expected to restart in Q4 2026. Excluding BF3 from last year's base, production growth was approximately 10%.

【SMM Steel】Taiwanese wire rod manufacturer Kuan Tien Steel announced that its consolidated revenue for April was approximately 253 million TWD (equivalent to approximately 7.8 million USD), representing a year-on-year increase of 6.85% and a month-on-month rise of 13.63%. Consolidated revenue for the first quarter stood at approximately 670 million TWD (equivalent to approximately 20.6 million TWD), marking a year-on-year decline of 8.43%. The company stated that the overall steel market has improved this year, with steel prices rising significantly and restocking demand from downstream sectors gradually emerging; full-year operating performance is expected to outperform last year’s figures.

【SMM Steel】India's JSW Steel Limited plans to merge its subsidiary BMM Ispat Limited to boost operational synergies and expand its long product portfolio, as announced in a May 15 regulatory filing. The integration will leverage BMM Ispat's expansion-ready land in Karnataka to achieve cost efficiencies and significant operational synergies. JSW Steel can achieve faster capacity growth at lower costs through this merger compared to building new facilities from scratch. The move will also strengthen its long products portfolio by adding rebar and billets, enhancing its market positioning.