Colombian steel output down in H1, mainly for longs

Colombia's rolled steel output dropped 1.3% in the first six months this year, as a consequence of maintenance stoppages that mainly affected longs output.

Steel Business Briefing notes that Colombia is not self-sufficient in steel, which obligates some domestic mills to import inputs like scrap and billets, or even finished products, to meet local demand.

According to figures disclosed by the Colombian steelmakers group Fedemetal, 791,600 tonnes of finished steel were produced between January and June this year - a 1.3% drop compared to the same period last year.

Longs output fell from 580,000 t to 567,000 t in the same comparison, a 2.2% decrease. However, flatrolled production showed a small increase in the same period, reaching 224,600 t, up from 222,400 t in the first half of 2007.

Publication: SBB - Steel Business Briefing
Provider: Steel Business Briefing
Date: September 4, 2008