Global pig iron output edges up

Global pig iron production increased in September on rising output in Asia-Pacific and the Americas, World Steel Association data show.

Global production increased by 2.6pc from a year earlier to 104.67mn t, but fell compared with August and was at its lowest since April. Output is likely to slow later this year, as operating restrictions in China take full effect for the winter.

Chinese pig iron production rose by 4.4pc on the year in September to 66.38mn t, but output fell for a second consecutive month after reaching an all-time peak of 67.52mn t in July.

Elsewhere in Asia-Pacific, Japanese output fell by 1.8pc on the year to 6.26mn t, while supply from India increased by 1.7pc to 5.7mn t.

Russian production edged up by 2pc to 4.35mn t in September compared with a year earlier, while Ukrainian output fell by almost 10pc to 1.67mn t.

Brazil — the largest pig iron producer in the Americas — boosted output by 3.6pc on the year to just over 2.5mn t.

German production rose by 7.6pc from a year earlier to 2.55mn t in September, but total production from the EU declined by 3.4pc to 7.3mn t.

EU pig iron output may fall further in October, with German producer ThyssenKrupp having declared force majeure on 19 October owing to low water levels on the Rhine river, which have affected operations at other steel mills in the region.

Challenging market conditions hampered Turkish output growth in September, with pig iron production down by 12pc on the year to 750,000t, the lowest since April 2014.