German Steel Association: 2011 crude steel output rose 1 pct to 44.3 mln T

German Steel Association expects stable steel production in 2012.

The German Steel Association (Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl, WV) expects for 2012 a crude steel production of around 44 million tonnes. That is, the production will remain stable. "The reduced inventory levels at distributors and processors, caused by the year end, are a good starting position for the steel industry in 2012," said Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, President of the WV steel. In December 2011, steel companies in Germany produced three million tonnes of crude steel. In comparison to the previous year, the total production of 2011 increased by 1% to 44.3 million.

Read the original press release in German here.