CORPORATE NEWS
BHP sees no impact from trade tensions 
Wed 17th Oct 2018 20:04 GMT BHP declined to give a date on when the Samarco joint venture between BHP and Brazil's Vale could resume iron ore production, after Vale's CEO suggested it could reopen at a third of its capacity at t [
full report]
Vale sees possible Samarco restart in 2020, BHP uncertain ... Wed 17th Oct 2018 10:30 GMT Samarco, a joint venture between Brazil's Vale (VALE3.SA) and mining major BHP (BHP.AX) (BLT.L), could resume iron ore production at a third of its capacity at the beginning of 2020, Vale's CEO said, [
full report]
Bhushan Power & Steel auction: All eyes now on Oct ... Wed 17th Oct 2018 01:00 GMT Tata Steel had moved NCLAT in April against the decision to consider Liberty House's bid. Separately, JSW Steel's bid got more than 90 percent of the votes of lenders [
full report]
Irans minerals, mining exports rise 9.5pct in H1 2018 ... Wed 17th Oct 2018 00:08 GMT According to Mehdi Karbasian, the head of IMIDRO, the worth of Irans minerals and mining exports stood at USD 9 billion in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20, 2018). As Karbasian [
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Brazilian miner Vale will not chase big acquisitions Tue 16th Oct 2018 09:19 GMT He said Vale would use excess cash to pay dividends and buyback shares and he expected its Samarco iron ore mine to restart production in 2020 [
full report]
Steel Rebar market worth $154.08 Billion by 2021 Tue 16th Oct 2018 06:56 GMT Access Free Sample Report tinyurl.com/y9jcjzom Major market players covered in the report are ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg), Gerdau S.A (Brazil), Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Japan), Posc [
full report]
Turkey transfers operating rights of 7 coal fields to ... Tue 16th Oct 2018 01:39 GMT The energy ministry said that the Turkish Hardcoal Authority signed agreements with Erdemir Madencilik, TUMAS and Emsa Enerji, while the Directorate of Turkish Coal signed agreements with Imbat [
full report]
Aluminum Sheet/Strip Market 2025 Trend: Top Players Like ... Mon 15th Oct 2018 23:04 GMT Kobe Steel, Shandong Nanshan Aluminum, Jiangsu ALCHA Aluminium, ALCOA, Norsk Hydro, Guangdong HECTechnology Holding, Yunnan Aluminium, AMAG, Henan Mingtai Al. Industrial, UACJ, Aleris, Novelis, Alumin [
full report]
INDUSTRY NEWS
Iron Ore is Defying Gravity (For Now) Thu 18th Oct 2018 01:02 GMT Need buying strategies for steel Request your two-month free trial According to Reuters - , top steelmaking city Tangshan has already started production curbs from Oct. 1, while Handan city [
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Mills in China's top steel city boost output despite ... Thu 18th Oct 2018 00:56 GMT BEIJING/MANILA Reuters - Steelmakers in Tangshan, Chinas biggest steel producing city, are boosting output as local officials have failed to issue precise orders on output curbs even though the cit [
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Steel industry fortunes revive as product prices gain ... Wed 17th Oct 2018 23:47 GMT Xu said steel companies in southern China, where restrictions on production activities are not as heavy as that in northern China, are expected to enjoy better profitability than those in the north. O [
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Acid and Fire Put Brakes on BHPs September Quarter Wed 17th Oct 2018 18:00 GMT Samarco in Brazil remains suspended in September BHP revealed that works were progressing well at its South Flank iron ore replacement mine in Western Australia, which will replace the [
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The 9th Steelie Award winners announced Wed 17th Oct 2018 11:00 GMT inners of the 9th Steelie Awards were announced at the Annual Dinner of the World Steel Association (worldsteel). The Steelie Awards recognise member companies or individuals for their contribution to the steel industry over a one-year period in a series of categories impacting the steel industry [
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Hong Kong: mega cities, mega heat. Wed 17th Oct 2018 09:37 GMT Originally from Fujian, China, Shuk-man has been living In addition, buildings made of dense materials such as concrete and steel trap and retain heat longer than wooden structures used [
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BHP update on iron ore production in Jul-Sep quarter Wed 17th Oct 2018 00:38 GMT BHP announced that total iron ore production increased by 10 per cent Mining and processing operations at Samarco remain suspended following the failure of the Fund3o tailings dam and Santar6m [
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Here Come the Trade War Price Hikes: Canton Fair Notebook Tue 16th Oct 2018 22:15 GMT Fujian Reida Precision Co. supplies consumer products like the idea remains hypothetical since their products have not yet been dragged into the trade war. Tariffs on steel and aluminum imposed by [
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BHP Q1 Iron Ore Production Up 8%; But Cuts FY Copper ... Tue 16th Oct 2018 19:19 GMT (RTTNews) - BHP (BHP.AX, BLT.L, BBL, BHP) reported that its total iron ore production for the first operations. . Mining and processing operations at Samarco remain suspended following the [
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SELECTED STEEL INDUSTRY MAPS
European welded tube plants
For other steel location maps, visit our steel industry maps page.
STEEL PLANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT COSTS
BOF SLAB PLANT
All cost estimates are in 2016 US dollars.
For further info visit our steel capex page.
Capital costs describe investment for an integrated slab plant with continuous casting, typically with coke, sinter etc. Representative investments include:
- CSA slab mill investment in Sepetiba, Brazil
- CSN investment in Itaguai, Brazil
- CVRD-Baosteel joint venture in Vitoria, Espirito Santo in Brazil
- Sinosteel Corporation's investment in Jharkand, India.
Average cost: $4300m
Average capacity: 4210 kt
Sample size: 12
Average cost/tonne: $1050/t
INTEGRATED HOT STRIP MILL
All cost estimates are in 2016 US dollars.
For further info visit our steel capex page.
Chart describes investments in ore-based integrated steel plants with hot strip production and sometimes other additional downstream rolling capability. Typical examples include:
- Wuhan Iron & Steel investment in Fangchengang Port in China
- ArcelorMittal investment in Karnataka, India
- Tata Steel joint venture with VSC & Vicem for investment in Vung Ang in Vietnam.
Average cost: $7560m
Average capacity: 6660 kt
Sample size: 16
Average cost/tonne: $1200/t
Notes
Analyses above were last updated in January 2016. For further item-specific capital investment data see our steel capex database page.
EMPLOYMENT BENCHMARKS
Chart above shows current employment levels at 114 different steel firms around the world - companies that make flat, long and/or tubular carbon steel products.
An average steel producer with a production potential of ~3 mt steel/year typically thus has ~4000 employees. If your steel company employs more than this, please call us - our technical experts can assist with steel plant productivity improvement.
To discuss the interpretation of this chart and/or further information (including employment benchmarks for specialty steel production) please email us at the address shown at the foot of the page.
INDUSTRY SUPPLY & DEMAND FORECASTS FOR YEARS 2017-2018
Table below shows global crude steel production volumes and capacity figures - as assessed by World Steel Association and by the OECD to 2018 - and resulting calculation of steelmaking capacity utilisation. The overall picture for 2018 as compared to 2017 is that of a tiny reduction in the global capacity surplus [which will fall from ~602mt to ~598mt] and a small but significant improvement in world capacity utilisation at the crude steel level.
Year
Production
million t
Capacity
million t
Capacity
Utilisation
Graph below shows the relationship between steel prices and global plant loading - and indicates (both for HRC and for rebar) that prices fall ~$27/tonne per 1% drop in capacity utilisation.
In 2017, on the basis that world capacity utilisation remains largely at 2016 levels of approx 67.4% (see table), MCI's consultants expect steel prices to remain at 2016 levels.
In 2018, assuming a very small improvement in global plant loading, we forecast just a tiny increase in steel price levels of the order of $5/tonne (hot rolled coil and reinforcing bar). For other products and / or for steel price forecasts through to 2020, please contact us.
OTHER USEFUL METAL INDUSTRY WEBSITES
Why not check out the following websites?
American Metal Market (AMM) at www.amm.com
Steel Guru at www.steelguru.com
SteelOrbis at www.steelorbis.com
Metal Bulletin at www.metalbulletin.com
