Developments in Steelmaking Capacity of Non-OECD Economies

Total non-OECD steelmaking capacity in 2005 is estimated to reach 569.7 million tonnes per year (tpy), up 30.0 million tonnes from 539.7 million tpy in 2002, an increase at an average annual rate of 1.8%. Southeast Asia, including China, will be made up of a majority of the volume of this increase on the strength of China's remarkable ongoing expansion in steelmaking capacity. In this regard, China's steelmaking capacity is likely to increase rapidly from 193.3 million tpy in 2002 to 211.0 million tpy by 2005.  In addition, robust growth is also expected to take place in the Middle East with a focus on Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia. By contrast, few changes in steelmaking capacity are expected in the NIS and Latin America.