AK&M 21 September 2023 12:48
The 1541st issue of the bulletin "Branches of the Russian economy: production, finance, securities. Ferrous and Non-ferrous Metallurgy" of the AK&M News Agency.
In July 2023, global steel production remained high. According to the World Steel Association (WSA), 158.5 million tons of steel were smelted during this period, which is 6.6% higher than the total of July 2022 and 0.4% lower than June 2023. In total, in the first seven months of 2023, 1,103.2 million tons of steel were smelted in the world — 0.1% less than in the same period of 2022. Moreover, 55% of the total volume was accounted for by China. It is worth noting that 53 countries that are not among the top ten steel producers occupy 15% of the world's smelting.
In January-July, Russia increased steel production by 2.8% to 44.2 million tons compared to a year earlier, retaining fifth place among metal–producing countries (according to WSA). During this period, steel production in the USA decreased by 2.3% to 46.8 million tons, in Japan — by 3.9% to 51.2 million tons, in South Korea — by 1.8% to 39.4 million tons, in Germany — by 4.6% to 21.5 million tons. At the same time, China increased metal production by 2.5% to 626.5 million tons, India — by 9% to 79.9 million tons.
The index of production in the extraction of metal ores in Russia in July decreased by 1.9% compared to July 2022, and in general for January-July 2023 — by 2.1%. The production of iron ore concentrate in July amounted to 7.4 million tons (-1.4%), while the output of lead concentrates increased by 47.5%. The production of unprocessed or semi—processed gold, or in powder form, decreased by 12.3% compared to July 2022, and increased by 14.2% compared to June 2023. Gold production in January-July 2023 increased by 5.5% compared to a year earlier.
The index of metallurgical production in Russia in July increased by 2.6% compared to July 2022, and by 5.4% compared to the previous month. In the first seven months of 2023, the index increased by 4.5% compared to January-July 2022. According to Rosstat, 6.4 million tons of steel of all types were smelted in Russia in July 2023 — 8.5% more than in July 2022. At the same time, the production of pig iron increased by 10.5%, and the output of rolled ferrous metals — by 11.2%.
The demand for metal in the automotive industry has increased. According to railway transport statistics, direct receipts of ferrous metals via the Russian Railways network to the addresses of the largest domestic automobile holdings in August 2023 amounted to 103.2 thousand tons. Compared to the previous month, the volume of deliveries increased by 10%, and on an annual basis — by 2 times. In general, for the period from January to August, import volumes reached 0.67 million tons, which is 35% higher than the same indicator last year.
This and many other topics are covered in Bulletin No. 1541 of the monthly bulletin "Branches of the Russian Economy: Production, finance, securities. Ferrous and Non-ferrous Metallurgy" of the AK&M News Agency dated September 20, 2023.
