[ferro-alloys.com]Sweden-based steelmaker SSAB forecast good underlying demand for high-strength steels in most markets during the second quarter, when posting first-quarter operating earnings below market expectations Friday due to production and transport capacity problems that have now been resolved.

Demand for heavy plate in North America was expected to remain strong during the second quarter, while European demand for strip and heavy plate was estimated to remain good, SSAB said.

"For SSAB Europe and SSAB Americas, somewhat higher shipments are expected during the second quarter of 2018, compared with the previous quarter," the company said adding that in total "the prices realized for the three steel divisions are expected to be higher during the second quarter compared with the first quarter, particularly for SSAB Americas."

SSAB reported first-quarter EBITDA of SEK 1.84 billion ($218 million), which was below forecasts mainly due to an unplanned outage within Special Steels (two weeks production disruption in the blast furnace in Oxelsund) and rail transport issues that disrupted production in Europe.

Overall crude steel production during the first quarter were up 3%, both compared with first quarter of 2017 and the fourth quarter of 2017.

Rolling production was up 1% compared with the first quarter of 2017 and up 6% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017.

SSAB's shipments during the first quarter of 2018 were 1.808 million mt, up 4% compared with the first quarter of 2017 and also up 4% compared with the fourth quarter of 2017.

In the US, the steel tariffs introduced by the Trump administration late in the first quarter have had limited impact so far.

SSAB also said that during Q1 it presented its conclusions from a pre-feasibility study for the fossil-free steel initiative, HYBRIT, and was now planning a globally-unique pilot plant for fossil-free steel production in northern Sweden.

• [Editor:王可]