For the first quarter of the year production was down 11.3% y/y and 18.8% lower than the first quarter 2012.
By contrast‚ China's steel industry‚ which is a major importer of SA iron ore‚ grew by 9.1% y/y in the first quarter to 191.9m tons‚ while the global steel industry expanded production by 2.3% y/y to 388.7m tons.
Last year SA production fell by 5.7% to only 7.12m tons‚ its lowest level since 1980‚ when the World Steel Association began collecting data. This contrasts with a 1.2% rise in global steel production in 2012 after a 8.1% jump in 2011.
In the first quarter this year SA steel production was reduced after a fire at the basic oxygen furnace in ArcelorMittal's Vanderbijlpark plant.
In mid-April ArcelorMittal SA said its basic oxygen furnaces have been recommissioned.
The company said an investigation into the cause of the fire revealed the steel-making facility had been affected by a malfunctioning sensor and controlling computer software.
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