Global crude steel output stable in Jan-Apr

EU-27 countries produced 14.9 million mt of crude steel in April, down five percent compared with April 2011. In April this year, Germany's output was 3.6 million mt, down by six percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.4 million mt, down three percent year on year, and Spain's crude steel output was 1.26 million mt, down 14 percent year on year.

Turkey produced 2.9 million metric tons of crude steel in April this year, with a five percent increase over the same month in 2011. Meanwhile, Iran's crude steel production in April this year amounted to 1.1 million mt, up one percent compared to April 2011.

The CIS registered a crude steel output of 9 million mt in April, down five percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.9 million mt, increasing four percent compared to April 2011, and Ukraine producing 2.5 million mt, down 18 percent on year-on-year basis.

In North America in April, crude steel output reached 10.4 million mt, up six percent year on year, with the US producing 7.7 million mt and Mexico producing 1.45 million mt, up nine percent and down five percent respectively on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in April amounted to 4.1 million mt, down by one percent year on year, with Brazil's output totaling 3 million mt, down by one percent year on year.

In April this year, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 81.1 percent, remaining unchanged compared to March this year, and down 1.7 percentage points compared to the same month last year.

The top 10 crude steel producing countries in the first four months of 2012 are as follows:

Tonnages (x 1,000 mt)