The Crude Steel Output of 63 Countries Surveyed Across The Globe Reached 132.1 Million Mt

According to the World Steel Association (worldsteel), in April this year the crude steel output of 63 countries surveyed across the globe reached 132.1 million mt, increasing by 1.2 percent on year-on-year basis and down 2.1 percent compared to March this year. Total global crude steel production in the first four months of the current year rose 1.9 percent compared to the same period of 2012 and was up 3.9 percent over the first four months of 2011, amounting to 521.3 million mt.

In April, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 88.5 million mt, up by 4.7 percent, with 65.7 million mt produced by China, up by 6.8 percent, 9.2 million mt produced by Japan, up by one percent, and 5.5 million mt produced by South Korea, down by 6.3 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.

EU-27 countries produced 14.1 million mt of crude steel in April, down 4.9 percent compared with April 2012. In April this year, Germany's output was 3.6 million mt, down by 0.9 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.1 million mt, down 11.6 percent year on year, and Spain's crude steel output was 1.4 million mt, up 10.3 percent year on year.

Turkey produced 2.9 million metric tons of crude steel in April this year, with a 0.7 percent decrease from the same month in 2012. Meanwhile, Iran's crude steel production in April this year amounted to 1.3 million mt, down 2.5 percent compared to April 2012.

The CIS registered a crude steel output of 8.9 million mt in April, down 6.9 percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.6 million mt, decreasing 4.3 percent compared to April 2012, and Ukraine producing 2.75 million mt, down 8.4 percent on year-on-year basis.

In North America in April, crude steel output reached 10.1 million mt, down 5.7 percent year on year, with the US producing 7.3 million mt and Mexico producing 1.5 million mt, down 7.3 percent and 1.5 percent respectively on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in April amounted to 3.95 million mt, down by three percent year on year, with Brazil's output totaling 3 million mt, down by 1.6 percent year on year.

In April this year, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 80.0 percent, rising compared to the 79.1 percent in March this year, and down two percentage points compared to the same month last year.

The top 10 crude steel producing countries in the first four months of 2013 are as follows:

Tonnages (x 1,000 mt)