NON-COMMUNIST STEEL OUTPUT CONTINUES TO FALL
Steel output in the major
non-Communist producing countries fell sharply in February,
continuing a long-running trend, International Iron and Steel
Institute figures showed.
    Production in the 30 countries which report their figures
to it was 6.9 pct below the February 1986 level at 32.03 mln
tonnes.
    Output in the United States fell 18.5 pct to 5.30 mln
tonnes, that in Japan 7.8 pct to 7.27 mln and that in the
European Community 6.5 pct to 9.91 mln.
    The figures continue to indicate a switch away from these
traditional major producing countries to the more advanced
developing countries.
    Brazilian February output rose 9.2 pct from year-earlier
levels to 1.73 mln tonnes and that in South Korea was up 7.5
pct at 1.17 mln tonnes.
    The 30 countries covered by the figures account for about
97 pct of world non-Communist steel production, the Institute
said.
 REUTER
