The use of steel scrap in production increased by 10.1%

Scrap steel consumption rose 10.1% to 469.3 million tonnes last year in countries that account for 81% of global steel production as these countries, including China, seek to reduce their carbon emissions, Rolf Villek said on Tuesday. Statistical Adviser to the International Bureau of Waste Management BIR.

Globally, crude steel production from the scrap metal electric arc furnace line rose 12% to 524 million tonnes, accounting for 29.4% of total steel production, which also rose 4.5% last year to 1.808 billion tonnes. according to the World Steel Association.

The increase in scrap steel use was primarily driven by China, where scrap steel use jumped 27% last year to 187.8 million tonnes as the share of steel production in EAF rose to 13% of the country's total steel production of 928 , 3 million tons, compared with 9.3% share in 2018.

China is the world's largest consumer of ferrous scrap, and its use of lower carbon EAF steelmaking than blast furnaces is on the rise due to stricter environmental quality standards imposed by the government.

In other regions, scrap use in 2018 increased by 0.3% in the EU, 2.2% in the US, 2.1% in Japan and 5.5% in Russia, while in Turkey scrap use fell by 0. 4%, while in South Korea it fell 2.3%, Villek said.

Scrap metal traded internationally, including intra-EU trade, rose 2.6% in 2018 to 105.4 Mt and remained below the recent peak of 110.8 Mt sold in 2011.

The main importers of scrap last year were Turkey, where imports fell 1.5% year-on-year to 20 million tonnes, mainly from the United States; South Korea, where imports rose 3.5% to 6.393 million tons, mainly from Japan; and India, where imports rose 18% to 6.33 million tonnes, mainly from the UAE.

The main exporters of scrap metal last year were the EU, which exported 21.436 million tons, which is 6.7% more than in 2017; and the United States, whose exports rose 15.4% to 17.33 million tonnes. Turkey was the main buyer in both cases. The third largest exporter of ferrous scrap last year was Japan, whose sales abroad fell 9.8% to 7.5 million tonnes, with South Korea becoming the main buyer.