Overall iron and steel production in the Czech Republic will grow by some 16% y/y to 14.9mn tonnes in 2010, according to estimates of economy ministry and the steel association, newswire CTK informed. However, this growth would not be enough to compensate the 8.3% and the 27.2% drops reported in 2008 and 2009, respectively, in order to reach the pre-crisis levels of 19.246mn tonnes produced in 2007. The production of raw steel and raw iron is projected to increase by 15.7% and 15.4% in 2010, while the production of rolled material and steel pipes is to increase by 16.5% and 19.4%, respectively, but would be reflecting the low comparison base. In 2011 the overall steel and iron production is to expand by 16.8% y/y and in 2012 - by 10.9% y/y. Thus, the pre-crisis levels would be surpassed only in 2012 when a total of 19.31mn tonnes are expected to be produced. The overall sales of the steel industry expanded by 10.8% y/y to CZK 47bn (EUR 1.8bn) in H1. Steel production expanded by 32% y/y and the volume of new orders - by 58.7% y/y. |
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