
The metal industry includes metalwork and metallurgy. Metals are natural resources that are extracted from the ores in their natural state situated deep within the earth. These are extracted and purified with the help of a few processes. These processes are included in metallurgy. The pure metal obtained from these ores is used for different purposes. Various machines and equipment are manufactured using metals. Metals obtained in the processes of metallurgy are used in making different products, which constitutes metalworking.
Alloys are also manufactured in metal industry. Alloy is a metal made up of two or more metals depending on the purpose of the alloy. Steel is the example of an alloy of iron which is manufactured by combining iron and carbon. It may contain other metals also such as aluminum.The products made by metal industries have become indispensable part of our lives. Metal constitutes the basic foundation of an economy. Today all the countries have metal industries. All the other sectors for the most part depend on the metal industries. All the developed countries are the exporters of metal and metal products.
Sumitomo is one of the largest metal companies. It is an integrated steel manufacturer of Japan. It has three integrated steelworks and a few manufacturing plants that produce seamless pipes used in petroleum industry.
Arcelor Mittal S.A is another giant in steel. The headquarters of the company is situated in Luxembourg. It is considered the largest steel company in the world. Its steel is used in automobiles, household appliances and construction. The company came into existence in 2006 after the merger of Mittal Steel and Arcelor.
Tata Steel is the world's seventh largest steel company in the world. It produces 31 million ton of steel annually. It is the largest private steel company in India as far as domestic production is concerned. Tata Steel is the second largest and most profitable private sector company in India. The company's main plant is located in Jamshedpur in the state of Jharkhand that employs more than 80,000 people.
Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) is the third largest steel maker in terms of market value. It is situated in South Korea and Asia's most profitable steelmaker company. The company has two steel plants in the country. One is situated in Pohang and the second is in Gwangyang. US-POSCO is another joint adventure located in California.
Baosteel is a state owned iron and steel company based in Shanghai in China. It is the second largest iron and steel producing company as per the crude steel output. Its annual output is around 20 million tons. It provides employment to more than 100,000 people. Its annual revenue is 21.5 billion US dollars.
These metal companies are among biggest steel producers. There are more companies in the world that manufacture other metals such as aluminum, copper, zinc, sodium etc. But steel is the most important metal which has greater significance in human life. Iron is the most basic metal which has contributed a lot in the advancement of human civilization.