Market Segment
Chinese Steelmakers Produce Nearly a Billion Tons in 2019
Written by Tim Triplett
January 17, 2020
Chinese mills cranked out a record 996.3 million tons of steel last year—just short of a billion tons—an 8.3 percent increase from 2018, according to Chinese government data.
Higher steel consumption reportedly was driven by increased property construction and government spending on infrastructure.
Crude steel production in December totaled 84.3 million tons, an 11.6 percent year-on-year increase.
Chinese steel shipments in 2019 totaled 1.2 billion tons, an 11.3 percent increase from the prior year.
Chinese pig iron production last year totaled 809.4 million tons, a 6.0 percent increase, based on the Chinese state report.
Steel demand in China grew in 2019 despite slowing domestic growth and the trade war with the United States.
Tim Triplett
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