LOCAL OUTPUT
SA’s steel production increases slightly
World Steel Association says production has edged up to meet slightly improved demand
SA’s steel production edged up 0.1% in March from a year ago to 539,000 tonnes after falling 4.2% for all of 2016 to about 6.141-million tonnes, according to the World Steel Association. This compares with a 4.6% rise in global steel production in March, to 145-million tonnes after a 0.8% rise in 2016 to 1.628-billion tonnes. South African demand for steel has fallen sharply since 2015, when production fell 7.6% in the first half of 2015, to 3.2-million tonnes as the industry battled with electricity-supply disruptions and subdued domestic demand. Demand recovered in the second half of 2016, with a 13.8% increase in October to 534,000 tonnes. Infrastructure Poor demand in 2015 and 2016 was in part due to the government’s multibillion-rand infrastructure investment plans failing to gain traction. In February 2017, Egypt overtook SA after that country’s steel production surged 46.8% to 507,000 tonnes. In March 2017 China raised its production 1.8% to a record 72-million tonnes. The Tr...
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