Word steel production increases year-over-year in October

October crude steel production for the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Brussels, is estimated at 161.9 million metric tons, a 7 percent increase from figures for October 2019. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Worldsteel says many of the October figures are estimates that could be revised with the next month’s production update.

China produced 92.2 million metric tons of crude steel in October, which was 12.7 percent more than in October 2019, the association reports. At 873.93 million metric tons for the first 10 months of the year, China’s production is up 5.5 percent compared with the same period in 2019.

Also in Asia, India produced 9.1 million metric tons of crude steel in October, up 0.9 percent from October 2019. Production in Japan and South Korea declined year over year, with Japan producing 7.2 million metric tons in October, 11.7 percent less than in October 2019, and South Korea making 5.9 million metric tons, 1.8 percent less than in October 2019.

In the European Union, Worldsteel says, Germany produced 3.4 million metric tons of crude steel for the month, a 3.1 percent increase from October 2019.

Other EU countries saw their production decline. Italy produced 2.1 million metric tons of crude steel in October, which was 4.6 percent less than in October 2019. Spain produced 1.1 million metric tons of crude steel for the month, a decrease of 7.7 percent from the corresponding month in 2019.

In North America, the U.S. produced 6.1 million metric tons of crude steel in October, a decrease of 15.3 percent compared with October 2019. For the first 10 months of the year, the U.S. produced 59.87 million metric tons of crude steel, or 18.4 percent less than in the comparable period in 2019. Mexico’s estimated production for the month was 1.47 million metric tons, or 1.1 percent more than in October 2019. For the first 10 months of 2020, the country’s steelmakers produced 3.71 million metric tons, or 12.1 less than through October 2091. Canada’s production was off 17.5 percent for the month and 19.9 percent through October compared with the previous year, Worldsteel figures indicate.

In the C.I.S., production is estimated to be 8.4 million metric tons in October, an increase of 4.7 percent from October 2019. Ukraine produced 1.7 million metric tons in October, which was 5.9 percent more than in October 2019.

In other Europe, Turkey’s crude steel production for October was 3.2 million metric tons, or 19.4 percent more than in October 2019. At 29.14 million metric tons, Turkey’s production for the first 10 months of 2020 is up 4.2 percent for the year.

In South America, Brazil produced 2.8 million metric tons of crude steel for the month, 3.5 percent more than in October 2019, Worldsteel notes.