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44

Steel recycling
held up in 2019
Final crude steel figures for 2019 show a 3.4%

increase in global output – and reveal the only

growth was in Asia and the Middle East. The

latest annual report from the Bureau of

International Recycling also shows a similar

increase in the use of steel scrap as a raw

material.

lion tonnes). Malaysia reported a
remarkable 56.3% increase while those
with double-digit declines included the
USA (-15.1%), Pakistan (-13.5%),
Canada (-38.7%) and Belarus (-14.5%).

Scrap exportS
The EU remained the world’s leading
steel scrap exporter last year, upping
its shipments by 0.6% to 21.793 mil-
lion tonnes. Its major buyer was
Turkey, although the total fell 0.7% to
12.021 million tonnes. Last year
brought an increase in US overseas
steel scrap shipments of 2% to 17.685
million tonnes with Turkey the leading
buyer (+14.1% to 3.916 million
tonnes). Other significant buyers are:
Canada (+22.5% to 1.726 million
tonnes); Vietnam (+24.4% to 1.271
million tonnes); the Republic of Korea
(+20.2% to 1.081 million tonnes) and
Bangladesh (+19.3% to 1.013 million

The report has been compiled by Rolf
Willeke, statistics advisor of BIR’s fer-
rous division, who intends to produce
quarterly updates in future for more
accurate appraisals of the market.
Using the latest World Steel
Association (worldsteel) data, Willeke
reports that global crude steel pro-
duction in 2019 was 1.870 billion
tonnes, 3.4% up on the previous year.
Worldwide oxygen furnace production
increased by 6.5% to 1.343 billion
tonnes while the global electric fur-

nace total was virtually unchanged at
523 million tonnes. In 2019, the
amount of steel scrap used by key
countries and regions also increased
3.4% to 491 million tonnes.

china to the fore
China continues to be the world’s
largest consumer of steel scrap – the
country’s annual consumption soared
15% last year to 215.93 million
tonnes. ‘The increase was mainly due
higher pollutant emission standards
for the Chinese steel industry,’ says
Willeke. ‘BOF mills have actively
increased scrap inputs and their steel
scrap/crude steel ratio is currently said
to be 20.2%.’ There was also a further
increase in China’s scrap-intensive
electric furnace production from 54
million tonnes in 2017 to 103.2 million
tonnes last year, according to world-
steel.
The use of steel scrap increased last
year in the USA (up 1% to 60.7 million
tonnes) while its crude steel produc-
tion grew 1.5%. The proportion of
steel scrap used in the country’s crude

steel production declined to 69.1% in
2019. However, there were falls in the
EU (-3.7%), Japan (-7.7%), Russia
(-4.3%), South Korea (-4.7%), Turkey
(-10.9%) and Canada (-5.8%).

Scrap importS
Last year Turkey’s overseas steel scrap
purchases fell 8.7% to 18.857 million
tonnes, although Turkey remains the
world’s biggest steel scrap importer.
The main factors behind this reduction
are said to be additional US import
tariffs on Turkish steel and sluggish
long steel demand in the domestic
and export markets. Its main supplier
was the USA (up 3.6% to 3.838 million
tonnes).
India reinforced its position as the
world’s second-largest steel scrap
importer with an 11.4% increase in its
overseas steel scrap purchases to 7.053
million tonnes. The country’s main sup-
plier was the UK (up 25.3% to 0.869 mil-
lion tonnes). Third-placed South Korea
upped its scrap imports by 1.6% to
6.495 million tonnes, with Japan the
main supplier (down 0.6% to 4.017 mil-

A u T h o R Robin Latchem

14 World Steel Recycling in Figures 2015 – 2019

CRUDE STEEL PRODUCTION AND STEEL SCRAP USE IN CHINA (MILLION TONNES)

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 % 2019/
2018

Crude Steel Production 803.8 807.6 870.9 920.0 996.3 +8.3

of which

Share BOF of Crude Steel in % 93.9 93.7 90.7 87.0 89.6

Share EF of Crude Steel in % 6.1 6.3 9.3 13.0 10.4

Total Steel Scrap Use 83.3 90.1 147.9 187.8 215.9 +15.0

Ratio Steel Scrap / Crude Steel in % 10.4 11.2 17.8 20.4 21.7

BOF – Bacic Oxygen Furnace Source: worldsteel and CAMU
EF – Electric Furnace

STEEL SCRAP FOR STEELMAKING IN CHINA (MILLION TONNES)

0

250

500

750

1000

Source: worldsteel and CAMUCrude Steel Production Steel Scrap Use

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

83.3

803.8

90.1

807.6

187.8

920.0

215.9

996.3

147.9

870.9

Turkey remains the world’s
biggest steel scrap importer.

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