Steel Market Production Increases – RG Steel has restarted operations at its 3 million tpy Sparrows Point, Maryland blast furnace which was temporarily shut down again over the weekend.

Steel Market Production Increases – Turkish producer Icdas is set to boost capacity by 1 million tonnes per year at its Biga works in the Marmara region of Turkey when its new billet meltshop comes online in early June.

Steel Market Production Cuts – Italian steel group Arvedi and Brazilian producer Metalfer have postponed the start of the 360,000 tonne per year initial phase of their joint-venture tube mill in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Steel Market Production Cuts – ArcelorMittal’s expansion project aimed at doubling billet and wire rod capacity to 2.4 and 2.3 million tonnes per year at the Monlevade unit in south-eastern Brazil has been suspended indefinitely due to a lack of domestic demand and a poor outlook globally.

Steel Market Production Cuts – Turkish producer Yolbulan Bastug has placed plans to install a new 700,000 tonnes per year capacity rebar and wire rod mill on hold due to a slowdown in local longs trade and certain export markets.

Sources: Steel Business Briefing, American Metal Market