Global crude steel output down 3% in March, Worldsteel says

Global production of crude steel decreased by 2.7% year-on-year in March 2015, according to data released by the World Steel Assn (Worldsteel) on Tuesday April 21.

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Crude steel output for the 65 Worldsteel member countries totalled 138 million tonnes during March.

China’s crude steel production saw a decrease of 1.2% year-on-year to 69.5 million tonnes last month.

Total crude steel output in Asia decreased by 1.3% year-on-year in March to 94.3 million tonnes, due to year-on-year declines in production in South Korea of 11.8% and in Japan of 4.5%.

In the European Union, steel output decreased by 0.9% year-on-year to 15.3 million tonnes in the same comparison.

Among the biggest steel producers in the EU, only France showed an increase in volumes, growing by 3%. March crude steel output fell in Italy by 9.8% year-on-year, in Germany by 4.4%, in Spain by 5.1% and in the UK by 0.8%.

Outside the EU, Turkey showed a 4.1% year-on-year drop in steel output to 2.8 million tonnes.

Russia produced 6.0 million tonnes of crude steel in March, up by 0.2% year-on-year while output in Ukraine dropped by 35.6% year-on-year in the period to 1.7 million tonnes.

In the Americas, March crude steel production was down year-on-year.

US output fell by 12.7% to 6.6 million tonnes while Brazilian output decreased by 7.4% year-on-year to 2.8 million tonnes. Mexican output fell by 5.2% to 1.6 million tonnes.

Worldsteel’s estimated global utilisation rate was 71.6%, 4% lower than in the corresponding period last year.