The Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling’s (BIR) Ferrous Division announced during its World Recycling Convention May 18-20 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the publication of the sixth edition of World Steel Recycling in Figures.
According to the BIR, the compilation of statistics on the global ferrous scrap markets has received a hugely positive reception since it appeared for the first time in 2010.
Divisional President William Schmiedel highlighted that in the new report the BIR has extended its steel scrap usage reporting regarding the 28 countries in the European Union (EU-28), China, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Turkey, which are the world’s largest scrap users. Schmiedel says the newest edition of the publication also provides extensive information about the world trade in steel scrap, adding that BIR’s Ferrous Division will strive to continue publishing the statistics on both a yearly and a quarterly basis.
Rolf Willeke, statistics advisor of the BIR Ferrous Division, summarized the main news and findings contained in this report, which covers the five-year period from 2010 to 2014:
- World crude steel production increased 1 percent last year to 1.665 billion metric tons, according to the World Steel Association. Because of the stronger increase in basic oxygen furnace (BOF) production and the small reduction in electric arc furnace (EAF) production, BOF’s steel share of total world production climbed to 73.9 percent.
- According to BIR figures, last year steel scrap consumption increased in the EU-28 by 1 percent, in China by 3 percent, in the United States 5.1 percent and in Japan 0.6 percent. However, Turkey’s consumption of steel scrap dropped by 7.3 percent, Korea’s consumption dipped by 0.3 percent and Russia’s intake of steel scrap dropped by 0.5 percent.
- In 2014 crude steel production increased among regions/countries with a high percentage of EAF production, including the Middle East and Asian countries, such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
- The BIR has calculated a steel scrap usage increase in world steel production in 2014 of 0.9 percent to 585 million metric tons compared with 2013’s steel scrap usage total of 580 million metric tons.
- The steel scrap proportion of global crude steel production was 35.1 percent; BIR statistics confirmed a steel scrap proportion of 53.9 percent for the EU-28, 10.7 percent for China, 70.3 percent for the United States, 33.3 percent for Japan, 45.6 percent for the Republic of Korea, 27 percent for Russia and 82.9 percent for Turkey.
- Global annual ferrous scrap use in iron and steel foundries has amounted to between 56 million and 76 million metric tons in recent years.
- Global external steel scrap trade—including internal EU-28 trade—amounted to 97.1 metric tons last year, a 1.9 percent drop from 2013.
- Most leading steel scrap importers cut their overseas purchases in 2014. Last year’s figures show a further steep drop in China’s steel scrap imports (42.6 percent), underlining the country’s policy of buying more from domestic sources and of reducing imports.
- After a drop of 12 percent in 2013, Turkey reduced its overseas purchases last year by another 3.2 percent. Cuts in steel scrap imports were also made by the Republic of Korea (13.6 percent), Taiwan (4.1 percent), the EU-28 (2.0 percent), Indonesia (10.9 percent) and Canada (12.9 percent). In positive territory were the steel scrap imports of India (1.1 percent), the United States (8.6 percent) and Thailand (43.9 percent).
- Seven flow charts cover 2014 steel scrap export figures for the United States, the EU-28, Japan, Canada, Russia, Australia and South Africa.
- The EU-28 was the world’s leading exporter of steel scrap in 2014, following a slender increase of 0.3 percent to 16.859 million metric tons, bettering U.S. overseas shipments, which declined by 17.1 percent to 15.34 million tons over the same period. Japan’s steel scrap export volumes declined 9.6 percent in 2014 to 7.351 million tons.
- Also lower last year were steel scrap exports from South Africa (14.2 percent to 1.489 million metric tons) whereas steel scrap exports from Canada were virtually unchanged (-0.2 percent to 4.51 million metric tons). Steel scrap export increases were recorded by Russia, with a strong gain of 53.2 percent to 5.689 million metric tons, and Australia (7.4 percent to 2.362 million metric tons).
- The EU-28’s internal steel scrap exports totaled 30.153 million metric tons last year, a 1.7 percent increase from the previous year.
- The world’s leading steel scrap exporters are major net steel scrap exporters: last year’s export surplus was 13.7 million metric tons for the EU-28 and 11.1 million metric tons for the United States.
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