Global steel output down 3% in January 2015, Worldsteel says

Global steel production declined by 2.9% year-on-year in January 2015, according to data published by the World Steel Assn (Worldsteel) on Friday February 20.

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Crude steel output in the 65 Worldsteel member countries totalled 133 million tonnes during the month.

Production in China dropped by 4.7% year-on-year over the period to 65.5 million tonnes.

Total crude steel output in Asia in January decreased by 3.9% year-on-year to 89.4 million tonnes. Both South Korea and Japan saw production decline, by 5% and 4% year-on-year, respectively.

In the European Union, output dipped by 11% year-on-year over the month to 14.4 million tonnes. Output in the biggest steel producing countries in the EU showed year-on-year declines in January: by 0.5% in Germany, by 11.3% in Italy, by 11.8% in Spain, by 1% in the UK and by 10.6% in France.

In Turkey, steel production dropped by 10.4% year-on-year during the month to 2.6 million tonnes.

Output in Russia showed a 6% year-on-year growth over the period to 6.1 million tonnes. Steel production in Ukraine was 1.9 million tonnes, down by 25.2% year-on-year.

In the Americas, steel production in January rose by 0.4% year-on-year 7.4 million tonnes in the USA, and by 7.7% year-on-year to 2.9 million tonnes in Brazil.

Worldsteel’s estimated global capacity utilisation rate was 72.5% in January, 4.4% lower than in the corresponding month in 2014.

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