According to the RWI, Germany''s crude steel production in 2009 is expected to decline by 30% as the builders and automobile manufacturers chose the option of using stock rather than buy more of the metal products.

It said that the 2009 output would fall to 32 million tonnes as compared to 45.8 million tonnes in 2008. Its members view that Germany''s steel production capacity utilization rate will be around 60% in a long term.

At the same time, RWI expected that German crude steel production will increase to 33.3 million tonnes in 2010 from 32 million tonnes in 2009 and the reason is there will be a slight increase in domestic production and investment will be more active in Germany by the end of 2010.