Canada isn't just forging metal; it's building a more resilient and innovative economy, as seen in a 2022 industry that produced nearly 13 million metric tons of steel, employed over 22,500 workers, and generated a record-breaking CAD 7.2 billion trade surplus while actively investing in a greener future.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Canada's crude steel production reached 12.96 million metric tons, marking a 4.2% increase from 2021
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco produced 4.5 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022 at its Hamilton facility
- Algoma Steel's crude steel production in Sault Ste. Marie was 2.6 million tonnes in fiscal 2023
- Canada's steel industry employed 22,500 direct workers in 2022
- Ontario steel sector supported 120,000 total jobs including indirect in 2021
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco employs 5,000 workers at Hamilton and Cambridge sites
- Total steel exports from Canada were 8.2 million tonnes in 2022 valued at CAD 12.5 billion
- United States received 84% of Canadian steel exports in 2022, totaling 6.9 million tonnes
- Steel exports to US grew 15% to CAD 10.4 billion in 2022
- Steel industry revenue reached CAD 22.4 billion in 2022
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco EBITDA was CAD 1.2 billion in 2022
- Stelco net income surged to CAD 1.08 billion in 2022
- CO2 emissions intensity per tonne of steel was 1.6 tonnes in 2022
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco recycled 95% of water used in production
- Algoma Steel's new EAF reduces emissions by 70% vs. blast furnace
Canadian steel production grew with major investments in sustainable operations.
Employment and Labor
- Canada's steel industry employed 22,500 direct workers in 2022
- Ontario steel sector supported 120,000 total jobs including indirect in 2021
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco employs 5,000 workers at Hamilton and Cambridge sites
- Algoma Steel workforce numbered 2,300 in 2023 post-transformation
- Stelco Hamilton operations employ 1,800 full-time staff
- Average annual wage in Canadian steel industry was CAD 95,000 in 2022
- Steel industry labor productivity grew 3.2% year-over-year in 2022
- 15% of steelworkers are women as of 2023
- Training investments totaled CAD 25 million across mills in 2022
- Unionized workforce covers 90% of production employees
- EVRAZ Regina employs 650 workers for steel plate production
- Indigenous employment in steel sector reached 5% in 2023
- Apprenticeship programs trained 1,200 new entrants in 2022
- Labor shortage affected 40% of steel firms in 2023 survey
- Total induced employment from steel is 75,000 jobs
- Safety incident rate dropped to 1.2 per 100 workers in 2022
- Quebec steel plants employ 4,500 directly
- Retirement rate among steelworkers is 8% annually due to aging workforce
- Digital skills training reached 60% of workforce by 2023
- Overtime hours averaged 500 per employee in 2022
- Female leadership roles increased to 25% in management
Employment and Labor Interpretation
Canada's steel industry, where a surprisingly modest number of direct workers forge a vast web of high-paying jobs, is wrestling with the very modern paradox of investing heavily in training and diversity while an aging, overworked, and predominantly male core workforce clocks impressive overtime to combat a persistent labor shortage.
Exports and Trade
- Total steel exports from Canada were 8.2 million tonnes in 2022 valued at CAD 12.5 billion
- United States received 84% of Canadian steel exports in 2022, totaling 6.9 million tonnes
- Steel exports to US grew 15% to CAD 10.4 billion in 2022
- Flat-rolled steel exports reached 5.1 million tonnes in 2022
- Pipe and tube exports were 1.2 million tonnes valued at CAD 2.1 billion
- Steel imports into Canada totaled 5.6 million tonnes in 2022
- Top import source was US with 2.8 million tonnes of steel slabs
- Trade surplus in steel was CAD 7.2 billion in 2022
- Energy sector tubular exports hit 850,000 tonnes in 2022
- Automotive steel exports to Mexico were 450,000 tonnes
- Safeguard measures reduced imports by 25% post-2018
- EU steel exports from Canada were CAD 450 million in 2022
- Rebar exports totaled 900,000 tonnes mainly to US
- Import quota utilization was 92% for USMCA slab imports in 2023
- Steel trade with Asia declined 10% to 300,000 tonnes exports
- Hamilton port handled 4.5 million tonnes steel exports in 2022
- Anti-dumping duties collected CAD 150 million on steel imports 2018-2022
Exports and Trade Interpretation
Canada may have its own steel spine, but it clearly exports most of it—$10.4 billion worth—in a co-dependent whisper to its southern neighbor, proving that while we're tough enough for a trade war, we're also pragmatically wrapped in a warm, NAFTA-shaped blanket.
Production and Capacity
- In 2022, Canada's crude steel production reached 12.96 million metric tons, marking a 4.2% increase from 2021
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco produced 4.5 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022 at its Hamilton facility
- Algoma Steel's crude steel production in Sault Ste. Marie was 2.6 million tonnes in fiscal 2023
- Stelco Inc. reported 2.58 million net tonnes of steel shipments from its Hamilton and Nanticoke operations in 2022
- EVRAZ North America's Regina steel plate mill produced 340,000 tonnes of steel plate in 2022
- Canada's electric arc furnace (EAF) capacity utilization rate was 78% in 2022
- Total flat-rolled steel production in Canada hit 8.2 million tonnes in 2021
- Hamilton, Ontario, hosts Canada's largest integrated steelworks with annual capacity exceeding 4.5 million tonnes
- In 2023 Q1, Canadian steel production rose 2.1% to 3.15 million tonnes
- Quebec's steel production contributed 1.8 million tonnes in 2022, primarily from Contrecoeur
- Canada's pig iron production was 5.2 million tonnes in 2022
- Nanticoke Works has an annual hot-rolled coil capacity of 2.4 million tonnes
- Algoma Steel's plate mill output was 1.1 million tonnes in 2023
- Direct reduced iron (DRI) production in Canada was negligible at under 100,000 tonnes in 2022
- Canada's long steel products production totaled 3.4 million tonnes in 2022
- ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada produced 1.2 million tonnes of long products in 2022
- Steel slab imports for Canadian mills were 1.5 million tonnes in 2022
- Capacity utilization in Ontario steel plants averaged 82% in 2021
- Sydney Steel Corporation's historical capacity was 1.2 million tonnes before closure
- Canada's HRC production capacity stands at 10.5 million tonnes annually
- In 2020, COVID-impacted production dropped to 11.8 million tonnes
- Pipe and tube production reached 1.9 million tonnes in 2022
- Alberta's mini-mill capacity is 500,000 tonnes for rebar
- Total steel scrap consumption in Canada was 9.8 million tonnes in 2022
- Blast furnace hot metal output was 7.1 million tonnes in 2022
Production and Capacity Interpretation
While Canada's steel industry is showing robust recovery with over 12 million tonnes of production and key players like ArcelorMittal Dofasco holding strong, its heavy reliance on blast furnaces and significant slab imports reveals a sector that is impressively productive yet still wrestling with its foundational supply chains.
Revenue and Financials
- Steel industry revenue reached CAD 22.4 billion in 2022
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco EBITDA was CAD 1.2 billion in 2022
- Stelco net income surged to CAD 1.08 billion in 2022
- Algoma Steel revenue was CAD 2.8 billion in fiscal 2023
- Industry capital expenditures totaled CAD 2.5 billion in 2022
- Return on sales averaged 12.5% across Canadian steel producers in 2022
- Debt-to-equity ratio for major producers averaged 0.45 in 2023
- Stelco's Lake Erie plant upgrade cost CAD 400 million
- Tax contributions from steel industry were CAD 3.1 billion in 2021
- Algoma's EAF conversion financed by CAD 650 million debt
- Average steel selling price was CAD 1,200 per tonne in 2022
- Ontario steel GDP contribution was CAD 12 billion in 2022
- R&D spending reached CAD 150 million industry-wide in 2022
- Profit margins peaked at 18% for flat products in Q4 2022
- EVRAZ NA revenue from steel plate was CAD 800 million
- Industry assets valued at CAD 35 billion in 2023
- Dividend payouts by Stelco totaled CAD 300 million in 2022
- Cost per tonne of production averaged CAD 850 in 2022
Revenue and Financials Interpretation
While Canada's steel industry builds the nation's backbone with billions in revenue and taxes, its newfound financial muscle—built on everything from prudent 0.45 debt ratios to profitable CAD 1,200-per-tonne steel—is now being cautiously flexed through massive capital upgrades and substantial shareholder returns.
Sustainability and Environment
- CO2 emissions intensity per tonne of steel was 1.6 tonnes in 2022
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco recycled 95% of water used in production
- Algoma Steel's new EAF reduces emissions by 70% vs. blast furnace
- Industry-wide scrap recycling rate hit 92% in 2022
- Stelco invested CAD 100 million in emission reduction tech in 2022
- Total GHG emissions from Canadian steel were 18.5 Mt CO2e in 2021
- Energy intensity improved 15% since 2015 to 15 GJ/tonne
- 25% of steel produced using green hydrogen pilots by 2023
- Water withdrawal reduced 20% to 2.5 cubic meters per tonne
- EVRAZ Regina achieved zero landfill waste in 2022
- Hydrogen direct reduction feasibility studied at CAD 50 million cost
- Carbon capture utilization storage (CCUS) pilots capture 500,000 tonnes CO2 annually
- Biodiversity programs restored 1,200 hectares around mills
- NOx emissions cut 40% since 2010 to 1.2 kg/tonne
- 100% renewable electricity commitment by 2030 announced
- Stelco's Nanticoke solar farm powers 20% of operations
- Industry net-zero roadmap targets 30% reduction by 2030
Sustainability and Environment Interpretation
While Canadian steelmakers are impressively greening their backyard—recycling water, scrap, and even waste—they're still belching a hefty cloud of 18.5 million tonnes, proving that turning a titanic industry truly green requires both brilliant innovation and a heavy, ongoing grind.
Sources & References
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