Steel Scrap Used for Steelmaking by World Countries Exhibited Mixed Trend

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The latest figures published by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) suggests that steel scrap usage for crude steel production by East Asian countries in 2018 hit lower levels, upon comparison with other regions of the world. The region, which is home to three of the world’s six largest steel producing nations, recorded significant decline in ferrous scrap use for steel making when compared with the rest of the world.

According to global recycling figures released by BIR, the ratio of steel scrap use to crude steel production was 20.2% in China, 35% in Japan and 41.4% in the Republic of Korea. Although, the proportion of ferrous scrap use to steel production recorded increases in these countries, they were comparatively much lower when compared with other major steel producing countries elsewhere. For instance, the ratio stood high at 80.7% in Turkey, 69.4% in the USA, 55.9% in the EU-28 region and 42.5% in Russia.

The total scrap use by seven key steel producing countries and regions surged higher by more than 10% to 469 million tonnes. Also, crude steel production by these countries and regions totaled 1.469 million tonnes.

Turkey- world’s largest steel scrap importer saw minor decline in overseas scrap purchases. The purchases by the country were down by 1.5% to 20.660 million tonnes. Korea, which recorded 3.5% year-on-year increase in imports to 6.393 million tonnes, was the second largest steel scrap importer. In third place was India with imports of 6.33 million tonnes, higher by 18% over the previous year.