World Steel Production Climbs in February

World Steel Production Climbs in February

World crude steel production for the 61 countries reporting to the International Iron and Steel Institute was 83.9 million metric tons in February. This is an increase of 3.7 percent from figures the same time last year.

China produced 24.8 million metric tons of crude steel in February, up 21.2 percent from the same month in 2004. Total production for the Asian region was 41.4 million metric tons, a rise of 10.3 percent from February 2004.

Production in the 25 European Union countries stands at 15.1 million metric tons in February. Production dropped in France by 4.2 percent; Germany, -1.4 percent; and the United Kingdom -5.8 percent, compared to the same month of 2004. Crude steel production in Italy grew by 3.1%.

In North America production dropped in Canada by -6.7 percent, and declined in the United States by 3.0 percent.