Steel Market Production Cuts – China’s daily crude steel output dropped 1.2% in the final ten days of February to 1.679 mt, according to the latest estimate from the China Iron & Steel Association.

Steel Market Production Cuts – Posco is currently overhauling its equipment at its Guangyang No.2 hot rolling plant that resulted in a sharp drop in exports in 1Q compared to last quarter.

Steel Market Production Cuts – ArcelorMittal Espana will lay off around 200 out of 784 long products workers at Gijon in northern Spain, in response to falling demand.

Steel Market Production Cuts – The Slovak unit of US Steel plans to cut 1,655 jobs by 2015.

Steel Market Production Increases – Global Pipe Company, Saudi Arabia’s newest pipe mill with a line pipe capacity of 200,000 tonnes/year, is scheduled for commissioning in August, with commercial production expected to begin the following month.

Steel Market Production Increases – ArcelorMittal completed revamping its No.2 blast furnace at its Temirtau mill in Kazakhstan last year, which will be relit in April.

Steel Market Production Increases – Specialty tube maker Webco Industries is still on-track to have its new Oklahoma mill up and running by the end of June.

Sources: Steel Business Briefing, American Metal Market, Mysteel, Bloomberg News