World DRI Output Dipped in February

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The preliminary data published by the World Steel Association indicates that the world direct reduced iron (DRI) production registered decline during the month of February this year. When compared with the prior month, the production recorded 7.5% decline. The DRI production totaled 6.996 million metric tons (Mt) in Feb ‘19, as compared with 7.556 Mt during the month prior to that.

The top three DRI producers in February 2019 were India, Iran and Egypt. All the three top producing countries reported production decline over the previous month. India continued to be the leading DRI producer with estimated output of 2.627 Mt. However, the country’s output declined slightly when compared with 2.740 Mt during the previous month. Iran’s DRI output totaled 2.285 Mt, reporting modest drop from 2.530 Mt in February. The Egyptian DRI output in Feb ’19 amounted to 524,000 metric tons, which again is slightly lower when compared with 583,000 metric tons output recorded during the month prior to that.

The monthly output (in thousand tonnes) by other top nine DRI producing countries is: Canada (128), Saudi Arabia (340), Argentina (110), Venezuela (15), Mexico (430), Libya (63), South Africa (82), Qatar (75) and United Arab Emirates (317). Qatar reported drastic decline in production when compared with 240,000 tonnes produced in Jan ’19.

The combined DRI output during the initial two-month period of the year totaled 14.563 Mt. The top three producers were India, Iran and Egypt.