POSCO, the nation’s top steelmaker, said Tuesday it is listed as the world’s most competitive steelmaker for 2013 in a survey of 34 world-class steelmakers, conducted by the U.S.-based steel industry analysis firm World Steel Dynamics.

It is the fourth consecutive year for POSCO to be ranked first in the annual survey. The surveyor rated the companies in 23 categories, including profitability, production capability, technological innovation, financial soundless and access to raw materials.

POSCO received the highest score at 7.76 points out of 10 in the evaluation. Russia’s NLMK and Severstal took second and third, gaining 7.33 and 7.32 points, respectively.

POSCO scored differently from previous years by gaining a perfect score in the category of strategic partnerships and M&A activities.

(jyseo@heraldcorp.co.kr)