Global output of direct reduced iron (DRI) decreased by 1% year-on-year in March 2015 as production in Libya ground to a halt, according to data released by the World Steel Assn (Worldsteel) this week.
World DRI output fell to 5.4 million tonnes year-on-year in March, with output in Libya down by 85% year-on-year to 15,000 tonnes.

In the rest of the African region, DRI output in March decreased in Egypt by 15% year-on-year to 225,000 tonnes and increased in South Africa by 10% to 140,000 tonnes.

Total DRI output in the Middle East decreased by 1.5% year-on-year in March to 2.2 million tonnes.

Output in Iran, the world’s second-largest producer of DRI, decreased by 1% year-on-year to 1.3 million tonnes, while Saudi Arabian and Qatari outputs fell by 3% year-on-year to 460,000 tonnes and 232,000 tonnes, respectively.

Meanwhile, production in the UAE increased significantly to 259,000 tonnes, up by 36% from March last year.

The biggest DRI producing nation, India, saw its output increase by 4% year-on-year to 1.7 million tonnes.

In the Americas, Venezuela showed a year-on-year increase in volume, more than doubling its DRI production to 190,000 tonnes from 79,000 tonnes, while Canada’s output grew by 12% to 138,000 tonnes.

March DRI output fell by 23% year-on-year in Trinidad and Tobago, to 145,000 tonnes, and by 3% in Mexico, to 525,000 tonnes.

The data in the report covers the 13 countries that accounted for about 89% of total world DRI production in 2013.