The Middle East and Africa combined extra-regional steel exports surged 36% on-year in 2018 to 12.9 million tonnes, with shipments to the CIS soaring to 1.7mt versus only 100,000t a year earlier, according to worldsteel. Asia excluding China and Japan raised intake 30% to 7.9mt, but NAFTA decreased intake -25% to 900,000t.

Total Middle East and Africa steel exports, including intra-regional trade, surged 27% in 2018 to 21.8mt. This growth rate was unchanged from 2017.

Middle East extra-regional steel imports fell -18% in 2018 to 17.8mt, worldsteel says its latest World Steel in Figures report sent to Kallanish. China supplied 5.6mt, down -14%. Intake from 'other Europe', which includes Turkey, and the CIS also fell.

African imports also declined by -6% to 21.2mt. Intake from China grew 7% to 5.9mt, but imports from the CIS and EU declined.

Middle Eastern ferrous scrap exports, meanwhile, rose 25% in 2018 to 2.5mt, while imports fell -18% to 900,000t, of which NAFTA supplied 500,000t. African scrap exports were flat at 1.4mt but imports slumped -76% to 600,000t.

MENA extra-regional scrap exports rose 13% to 3.5mt, of which 2.6mt went to other Asia, up 30%.

Middle East and Africa extra-regional iron ore exports fell -2% in 2018 to 105.6mt. China took in 73.6mt, down -6%, but exports to the EU increased 19% to 14mt. The region also shipped 10.6mt to other Asia, down -17%.

The region’s extra-regional iron ore imports, however, surged 29% to 38.7mt. The Americas excluding NAFTA supplied 29.3mt and the EU 5.8mt versus 20.8mt and 6.3mt respectively in 2017.

Middle Eastern apparent finished steel use was down -6% in 2018 to 50.1mt, while per capita consumption declined -7% to 197.1kg. African steel use rose 6% to 37mt, with per capita consumption up 3% to 28.7kg.

Iran’s apparent finished steel consumption declined -2% in 2018 to 19.6mt, but Egyptian use rose 9% to 11.1mt. Turkish use fell -15% to 30.6mt.

Global steel use was up 5% in 2018 to 1.71 billion tonnes, with per capita consumption up 4% to 224.5kg.

In 2017, meanwhile, Middle East and Africa true finished steel use fell -4% on-year to 80.7mt.