Year-over-year crude steel production increases in March

World crude steel production for the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Brussels, totaled 148.3 million metric tons in March 2018, a 4 increase compared with production in March 2017. Total production for the month reached 426.6 million metric tons.

Led by China, Asia produced 294.1 million metric tons of crude steel during the first quarter of 2018, according to Worldsteel, for an increase of 4.6 percent over the first quarter of 2017.

China’s crude steel production for March 2018 was 74 million metric tons, or 4.5 percent more than in March 2017. India produced 9.2 million metric tons during the month, an increase of 5.3 percent compared with March 2017’s figure. Japan produced 9.1 million metric tons of crude steel in March 2018, an increase of 2.2 percent compared with March of the previous year, while South Korea’s production was 6.1 million metric tons, an increase of 4.7 percent relative to March 2017’s production.

The European Union produced 43.1 million metric tons of crude steel in the first quarter of 2018, or 0.9 percent more than in the same period in 2017.

Italy led the way in terms of EU production in March 2018, making 2.3 million metric tons of crude steel—1 percent more than it produced in March 2017. France produced 1.4 million metric tons, an increase of 1.5 percent compared with the previous year.

Spain was the only EU nation that posted a decrease in production for the month, according to figures reported to Worldsteel. The country produced 1.3 million metric tons of crude steel in March 2018, which was 4.1 percent less than in March 2017.

Turkey’s crude steel production increased by 7.6 percent compared with March 2017, reaching 3.4 million metric tons.

For the first quarter of 2018, North American crude steel production was 29.5 million metric tons, or 1.9 percent more than it produced in the same period in 2017.

For the month of March 2018, the country produced 7.3 million metric tons of crude steel, an increase of 5.3 percent compared with March 2017.

Brazil’s crude steel production in March 2018 totaled 3.1 million metric tons—7.6 percent more than in March 2017.

The crude steel capacity utilization ratio for the 64 countries that report to Worldsteel was 74.5 percent for March 2018. This is 2.2 percentage points higher than in March 2017. Compared with February 2018, it is 0.9 percentage points higher, the organization notes.