Steel Makers Expect Record Production

Steel makers in Germany expect production to rise to a new record of 47 million ton in 2005, beating this year's output of 46.5 million ton in the face of booming worldwide demand, the German steel makers' federation said on Monday. The increase would remain only modest because steel makers in Germany were already operating at 98 percent of capacity, federation chief Dieter Ameling said. Raw material prices were also expected to rise, Ameling added.