The Main Steel Producers of 2013

The World Steel Association published statistics on the main steel producers for June 2013. World crude steel production was 131.7 million metric tons, an increase of 3.3% compared to June 2012, but with the same average of 4.39 million tons/day as in May 2013.

Chinese production recorded an increase of 4.4 million tons between June 2012 and June 2013, but the daily average in June 2013 compared to May 2013 was actually 0.3% lower. Other countries highlighted in the statistics whose steel production showed increases of over 200,000 tons between June 2012 and 2013 include Taiwan and Ukraine. Meanwhile, South Korea and Italy saw a decrease of over 250,000 tons in the same period.

The Main Steel Producers, Statistics and Their Evolution

ArcelorMittal was formed in 2006 through the takeover of the Western European steel producer by the Indian producer Mittal Steel. It tops the list of major steel producers, responsible for more than 6% of world steel production. It is headquartered in Luxembourg with operations in over 60 countries, across four continents: Europe, America, Asia and Africa. ArcelorMittal produces finished and semi-finished products, such as cold-rolled sheet and hot-rolled sheet, bars, structural shapes, wire, pipes and tubes for various applications. The company has iron ore mining operations in Algeria, Brazil, Bosnia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Mexico, Ukraine and the United States, as well as coal mining operations in Kazakhstan, Russia and the United States.

On October 1, 2012, Nippon Steel officially merged with Sumitomo Metal Industries, becoming Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Company. It is the leading steel producer in Japan with over 50,000 employees. The company produces a wide range of steel products used for industrial machinery and equipment, exported worldwide. Nippon Steel also develops new businesses, such as chemical products, ceramics, electronic equipment and information and communication systems.

Hebei Group was established in June 2008 through the merger of three smaller companies, in Hebei province, China. It is a state-owned company and has three main product lines: fine plate materials, vanadium-titanium products and high-quality construction materials.

Boasteel Group is a state-owned company, headquartered in Shanghai, China. The company produces carbon steels, stainless steels and special steels. These steel products not only meet domestic needs but are also exported to over forty countries. They have a wide application in industries such as automotive, household appliances, petrochemicals, energy, transport, aeronautics, etc.

Companies and Their Path in Steel Production

POSCO is a company established in 1968, headquartered in South Korea. Steel production includes hot-rolled steel, sheet, wire, cold-rolled steel and stainless steel products. POSCO currently operates two integrated steel plants in South Korea, at Pohang and Gwangyang. In addition, POSCO operates a joint venture with US Steel, USS-POSCO, located in Pittsburg, California.

Established in 1958, Wuhan Group is the first Chinese giant among the major steel producers according to some statistics. Over the years, the company has developed a complete set of advanced processes for the production of iron, steel and equipment for mining, coking and additional facilities. This makes it an important high-quality production base for hot- and cold-rolled sheet in China, contributing significantly to China's economy and modernization. Wuhan Group is currently involved in three industries: the iron and steel industry, hi-tech and international trade.

Shagang Group is the largest private company in China. It annually produces approximately 29 million tons of iron, 35 million tons of steel and 33 million tons of rolled products, being one of the top five steel producers in China. Since 2006, the company has acquired four smaller rival companies, and is now China's largest private steel producer.

Shougang Is Among the Main Steel Producers

Shougang was established in 1919, with accelerated growth since the founding of the People's Republic of China. With China's reform and its opening up to the outside world, Shougang also developed as one of China's core corporations. The core business of Shougang Group is the steel industry, with the company also having businesses in mining, electronics, construction and real estate.

JFE is a corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It was formed in 2002 through the merger of NKK and Kawasaki Steel Corporation. At that time, NKK was the second-largest steel producer in Japan and Kawasaki Steel the third. Its main field of activity is steel production, but it is also engaged in engineering, shipbuilding and real estate redevelopment. The company has subsidiaries abroad as well, including California Steel in the United States, Fujian China-Japan Metal in China and Minas da Serra Geral in Brazil.

Anshan Iron and Steel Group Corporation (Ansteel) is located in Anshan, Liaoning Province, China. The Anshan area is rich in iron ore, its reserves representing a quarter of the country's total reserves. The company was founded in 1948 and made a great contribution to national economic construction. After 60 years of construction and development, Anshan Group formed a development model for three major production bases located in Anshan, Bayuquan and Chaoyang. These have an annual capacity of 25 million tons of pig iron, crude steel and rolled steel. The company can produce 600 steel grades that are widely used in various fields of the national economy.