According to the world steel statistics 2021 released by the world iron and Steel Association recently, the global crude steel production in 2020 is 1.877 billion tons, an increase of 0.1% over the previous year. The output of oxygen converter steel increased by 2.2% to 1.373 billion tons, and that of electric furnace steel decreased by 5.7% to 493 million tons year on year. In 2020, China's crude steel production increased by 5.2% to 1053 million tons, accounting for 56.5% of the global crude steel production from 53.3% in 2019; Turkey's crude steel production increased 6.1% to 3.581 million tons year on year; Russia's crude steel production increased by 1.7% to 73.19 million tons year on year. The crude steel production of 28 countries in the EU decreased 11.8% to 138786000 tons year on year; The crude steel production in Japan decreased 16.2% to 83.194 million tons year on year; The output of Korean crude steel fell 6.1% to 67121000 tons year on year; Canadian production fell 14.8 per cent to 11million tons year on year.

Global scrap consumption

According to the statistics of the international recycling Bureau, China's scrap consumption increased by 2% to 203 million tons in 2020, which is the largest scrap consumer in the world. However, because of the large proportion of converter steel production in China, the ratio of consumption of scrap steel to crude steel output is slightly lower, which is 20.7%. The consumption of scrap steel in Turkey increased by 7.8% to 3.077 million tons, while the crude steel production increased by 6.1%, so the proportion of scrap consumption in crude steel production increased to 84.1%.

The consumption of scrap steel in 28 countries of the European Union, the United States, Russia, Japan and South Korea has declined. In 2020, the consumption of scrap in 28 countries in the EU will decrease by 10.3% to 77539000 tons year on year, and the output of crude steel in the region will be down 11.8%, and the consumption of scrap steel in EU crude steel production will rise to 55.7%. The consumption of scrap in the United States decreased 17.6% to 50million tons year on year, corresponding to the decrease of 17.2% to 72.7 million tons of crude steel production, and the utilization ratio of scrap steel in crude steel production decreased to 68.8%. The consumption of scrap steel in Russia decreased by 0.8% to 29.929 million tons, while the crude steel production increased by 1.7% year on year, and the utilization ratio of scrap steel in crude steel production decreased to 41.9%. In 2020, the consumption of scrap steel in Japan also decreased, down 13.4% to 29.179 million tons, while crude steel production decreased by 16.2% year-on-year, and the utilization ratio of scrap steel in crude steel production increased to 35.1%. The consumption of scrap steel in Korea decreased 9.7% to 25831 million tons year on year, the output of crude steel decreased by 6%, and the utilization ratio of scrap steel in crude steel production decreased to 38.5%. In 2020, the consumption of scrap steel in the seven major countries and regions mentioned above is 463 million tons, down 4.3% year on year. Overall, the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic spread worldwide, which negatively affected global scrap consumption and crude steel output in 2020.

Scrap steel import

Turkey is the world's largest importer of scrap steel. In 2020, Turkey's overseas scrap purchase increased by 19% year-on-year to 22.435 million tons. The import volume from the United States increased 13.8% to 4.368 million tons year-on-year, from 21.4% to 3.555 million tons in the Netherlands, 24.9% to 2.35 million tons from Russia, and 5.2% to 2.34 million tons from the UK.

India is the world's second largest importer of scrap steel. In 2020, the import of scrap steel in India will be 5.383 million tons, down 23.7% year on year. The import volume from the United Arab Emirates decreased 28% to 830000 tons year on year, from 17.1% to 637000 tons in the United States on a year-on-year basis, and from 37.4% to 544000 tons from the UK.

In 2020, the import of scrap steel in the United States increased by 5.7% to 4.52million tons year on year. The import volume from Canada increased 6.1% to 3.187 million tons year on year, while that from Mexico decreased 19.3% to 498000 tons, while imports from the Netherlands increased 53.1% to 271000 tons year on year. In 2020, the import of scrap steel in Taiwan and Mexico in China will increase by 2.6% and 43.4% to 3.616 million tons and 2.26 million tons respectively. By contrast, the import of scrap steel in South Korea decreased by 32.3% to 4.98 million tons year on year, that of 28 EU countries decreased by 2.1% to 2.866 million tons year on year, and that of Indonesia decreased 45.7% to 142000 tons year on year.

Scrap steel export

In 2020, the global scrap export volume reached 99.3 million tons, down 1.3% year on year. In 2020, the export of scrap steel from 28 EU countries increased by 4% to 22.2627 million tons year on year. Among them, the export volume to Turkey is 14.455 million tons, an increase of 17.5% year-on-year, the export volume to Pakistan increased by 18.3% to 1943000 tons, the export volume to the United States increased by 58.9% to 839000 tons, and the export volume to Switzerland increased by 24.2% to 482000 tons year-on-year. However, the export volume of EU 28 countries to Egypt fell 3.6% to 1942000 tons, the export volume to India decreased 33% to 1265000 tons year-on-year, and the export volume to Norway decreased by 5.8% to 320000 tons year on year. In 2020, the EU 28 domestic scrap steel exports amounted to 27.544 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 5.5%.

In 2020, the export of scrap steel in the United States will be reduced by 4.6% to 16.874 million tons year on year. The export volume of the United States to Turkey increased by 3% to 4.032 million tons year-on-year, 42.5% to 2075000 tons to Mexico, 75.8% to 1579000 tons to Malaysia, 32.7% to 1344000 tons to Bangladesh. However, the export volume of scrap steel from the United States to Taiwan declined 15.2% to 1596000 tons year on year, 22.1% to 99000 tons to Vietnam, and 47.5% to 906000 tons to Canada.

In 2020, Japan's scrap exports increased 22.6 percent to 9.387 million tons, Russian scrap exports increased 15.3 percent to 4.728 million tons year on year, Canada's scrap exports increased 3.2 percent to 4.51 million tons, Brazil's scrap exports increased 6.2 percent to 732000 tons year on year, while Australian scrap exports dropped 10 percent to 2093000 tons year on year, Hong Kong's steel scrap exports fell 36.8 percent to 67000 tons year on year.

The main waste steel export areas and countries realize net export. In 2020, the net export of scrap in 28 countries of EU is 1.8 million tons, and that of U.S. scrap is 12.4 million tons.