World crude steel production up 5.5%

World steel production for the month of April stood at 142.1Mt, a 5.5% increase when compared with April 2016.

The figures were compiled by the World Steel Asssociation (worldsteel) and based on information received from the 67 countries that report to worldsteel.

In China, crude steel production in April was 72.8Mt, up 4.9% when compared with the same period last year. In Japan the figure was 8.8Mt, up 3%, and in South Korea it was down 2.9% at 5.5Mt.

In the European Union, Germany produced 3.9Mt of crude steel in April 2017, an increase of 8.1% when compared with April 2016. Italy produced 2Mt, down 6%, while France produced 1.3Mt of crude steel, up 30.8%. Spain produced 1.2 Mt of crude steel, down by 2.8%.

Turkey’s crude steel production for April 2017 was 3Mt, up 6.5% on April 2016.

In the USA 6.7Mt of crude steel was produced in April 2017, an increase of 1.8%. compared to April 2016.

Brazil’s crude steel production for April 2017 was 2.9 Mt, up by 25.9%.

The crude steel capacity utilisation ratio of the 67 countries in April 2017 was 73.6%. This is 2.5 percentage points higher than in April 2016. Compared to March 2017, it is 1.7 percentage points higher.