According to the figures released by the Italian steel producers' association Federacciai, in June this year Italian crude steel output rose by 32.8 percent year-on-year and fell by 8.4 percent month on month to 2.26 million metric tons .
Meanwhile, in the first half of 2010, the country's crude steel production stood at 13.53 million metric tons, rising by 36.9 percent compared to the same period of 2009.
Accordingly, in May this year Italy's long steel output rose by 8.4 percent year- -on-year and was up 0.9 percent month on month, reaching 1.13 million metric tons.
On the other hand, in May the country's flat steel output reached 1.23 million metric tons, increasing by 99.7 percent year-on-year and rising by two percent month on month.

Cleveland, Ohio-based US metals service centre Olympic Steel Inc announced that it has completed a new US$125 million five-year asset based credit facility, which replaces the Olympic Steel's existing US$130 million credit facility that was due to expire in December 2011, providing the ability to increase the size of the facility up to US$175 million. The new credit facility has a maturity date of June 30, 2015.
Founded in 1954, Olympic Steel is a metals service centre focused on the direct sale and distribution of large volumes of processed carbon, coated and stainless flat-rolled sheet, coil and plate steel and aluminium products.
The company intends to use the funds in question to grow its business over the next five years, by securing a favourable capital structure to grow through Greenfield locations and acquisition opportunities.

Byelorussian Iron and Steel Works (BMZ) plans in 2011-2015 to invest €512.7 million in the development of its production facilities, of which €250 million will be directed towards the construction of a new 800,000 metric tons (MT) capacity section mill, BMZ's General Director, Anatoly Savenok said.
Accordingly, the new section mill, which is to be commissioned in late 2013 early 2014, is to allow BMZ to consolidate its positions in the markets for wire rod, reinforcing steel and cast billets (bloom).
Currently, BMZ operates at 100 percent capacity utilisation level, with output reaching pre-crisis levels. In January-June 2010, BMZ sold 1.2 MMT of commercial steel products, of which more than 80 percent were exported. The plant's deliveries to foreign customers rose by 24.4 percent year on year. In H1 this year, BMZ secured a foothold in new markets, including in African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries.
The investment projects scheduled for implementation in 2011-2015 are to enable BMZ to boost its steel product output to 2.848 million metric tons (MMT) up by 23.9 percent compared to 2009, or by 40.6 percent in value terms. The share of certified products of BMZ's total output is planned to reach 81 percent by the end of 2015. In addition, Savenok said that the plant also aims to increase its steel smelting capacity and by the end of 2014 to reach three MMT.

The Russian steel producer Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) aims to increase its self-sufficiency in raw materials, especially in coking coal and iron ore, MMK Chief Financial Officer, Oleg Fedonin has stated.
Accordingly, within the next three years, MMK plans to invest about US $300 million in the development of its Belon coal assets. MMK expects its self-sufficiency in coking coal to rise from the current 50 percent to 80 percent by 2013, due to the development of the Nikitinsky field in Russia's Kuzbass region acquired by Belon in June this year, Fedonin stated.
In the first quarter of 2011, MMK will also complete the feasibility study on its Prioskolskoye iron ore deposit in the Belgorod region, which may supply the company for 60 years and increase its self-sufficiency in iron ore to 100 percent, Fedonin said. He also added that MMK plans to launch a direct reduction unit for its Turkish plant MMK-Atakas.
By 2011, MMK aims to increase its self-sufficiency in iron ore in Russia's Chelyabinsk region, where it plans to produce up to seven million metric tons of iron ore per year.
Further decisions on the development of the Prioskolskoye project are to be taken, but MMK may sell, swap or use its stake in Australian miner Fortescue to help finance its development.