On Monday, June 29, the World Steel Association (worldsteel), formerly the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI), published its report World Steel in Figures 2009.
According to the worldsteel report, ArcelorMittal maintained its position as the world's top crude steel producing company for the third consecutive year in 2008.
Luxembourg-based steel giant ArcelorMittal produced 101.6 million mt of crude steel in 2008, nearly three times as much as its closest rival Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel. However, ArcelorMittal's crude steel production decreased from 116.4 million mt in 2007.
The worldsteel data show that Nippon Steel produced 37.5 million mt of crude steel in 2008, ranking in second place, unchanged compared to 35.7 million mt in 2007. Chinese steelmaker Baosteel climbed from fifth rank to third with 35.4 million mt of crude steel output in 2008, compared to 28.6 million mt in 2007.
Meanwhile, China's Hebei Steel rose to fourth place, with 33.3 million mt of crude steel, up from ninth rank in 2007 with 31.1 million mt. Following a production decrease to 32.4 million mt of crude steel in 2008 compared to 34 million mt of crude steel production in 2007, Japanese steelmaker JFE Steel dropped to fifth rank from third. In addition, South Korea's POSCO slipped to sixth rank with 31.7 million mt of crude steel production in 2008, compared to fourth rank with 31.1 million mt in 2007. China's Wuhan Steel jumped to seventh place from eleventh after its crude steel production rose to 27.7 million mt in 2008 compared to 20.2 million mt in 2007, while Indian steelmaker TATA Steel dropped to eighth rank with a reduced crude steel output of 24.4 million mt in 2008, from its sixth rank with 26.5 million mt in 2007.
In 2008, Chinese steelmaker Shandong Steel slipped to ninth place, with crude steel production at 23.3 million mt, from its eighth rank with 22.9 million mt in 2007. US Steel maintained its tenth rank position with 23.2 million mt of crude steel output in 2008, compared to 21.5 million mt in 2007.