Middle East crude steel production up 4% in March

By Anil Mathews (ScrapMonster Author)

April 25, 2016 01:44:25 AM

ABU DHABI (Scrap Monster): According to most recent data published by the World Steel Association (World Steel), the crude steel production by the Middle East region increased slightly by 3.9% during the month of March ’16 year-on-year. The region’s crude steel output totaled 2.324 Million tonnes during March this year, as compared with 2.236 Million tonnes during the same month a year before.

The total crude steel production by Iran during March was 1.455 Million tonnes, considerably higher by 10.6% in comparison with the March 2015 production of 1.315 Million tonnes. Qatar produced 200,000 tonnes of crude steel, sharply lower by 12.7% when compared to 229,000 tonnes production achieved during March 2015. Meantime, Saudi Arabia’s crude steel output dropped sharply over the previous year to 400,000 tonnes during March this year. The total crude steel production by the UAE during March was 269,000 tonnes, marginally higher by 3.5% in comparison with the March 2015 production of 260,000 tonnes.

The cumulative crude steel output by the Middle East region during the initial three months of current year totaled 6.747 Million tonnes, lower by 2.3% when compared with the output of 6.903 Million tonnes during the corresponding three-month period in 2015.

The following table provides cumulative crude steel output for the first three months in 2016 in comparison with those during same period in 2015.

  (Note: Output in thousands of tonnes)