World crude steel production for the 66 countries that report to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Brussels, was 112.2 million metric tons in October 2009, up from the 108.8 million metric tons produced in September.
Additionally, the total output is 13.1 percent higher than global production in October of 2008, when the world’s financial and then manufacturing sectors began their slump.
China’s crude steel production for October 2009 was 51.7 million metric tons, 42 percent higher than October of 2008, when the company severely ratcheted down its metals production.
The United States produced 5.9 million metric tons of steel in October 2009, up slightly from the 5.8 million metric tons produced in September, but below last October’s production.
In Europe, Germany’s crude steel production was 3.4 million metric tons in October 2009 was an increase over the September figure of 3.2 million metric tons. As in the U.S., though, the monthly figure reflected a decrease of 11 percent from October of 2008.
Russia’s crude steel production for October 2009 was 5.6 million metric tons, an increase of 24 percent compared to October 2008. Russia’s month-to-month trend in 2009 is also good, as it produced 200,000 metric tons more steel in October compared to September.
Turkey produced 2.3 million metric tons of crude steel in October 2009, a 25 percent increase from October 2008 and an increase from the 2.1 million metric tons it produced in September.
Year-to-date, total crude steel production in the 66 reporting countries for the first 10 months of 2009 was 982 million metric tons, a 13.5 percent decrease over the same period of 2008.
However, world crude steel capacity utilization has been steadily improving since reaching a low point in December of 2008. In October 2009, the world total capacity utilization ratio was calculated at76 percent by Worldsteel, 17.8 percentage points higher than December of 2008.