Data released by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) show that global crude steel production for 2007 rose 7.5 percent year on year to 1.343 billion metric tons. The total represents the highest level of crude steel production registered in history and it is the fifth consecutive year that world crude steel output has soared by more than seven percent.
China is again the world's largest steel producing country with crude steel production of 489 million metric tons in 2007, an increase of 15.7 percent from a year earlier. Total production in the Asian region amounted to 754.3 million metric tons, up 11.7 percent on a year ago.
Germany produced 48.5 million metric tons of crude steel in 2007, showing an increase of 2.8 percent year on year. Italy produced 32 million metric tons in the year in question, marking an increase of 1.2 percent from a year earlier. France produced 19.3 million metric tons, a decrease of three percent compared to 2006. Production in the UK was 14.3 million metric tons, 3.1 percent higher than 2006. Total production in the EU-15 amounted to 175.7 million metric tons, up 1.4 percent on a year ago.
Brazil produced 33.8 million metric tons of crude steel in 2007, an increase of 9.3 percent compared to 2006.Turkey's crude steel production in 2007 rose 10.5 percent year on year to 25.8 million metric tons.
The USA produced 97.2 million metric tons in 2007, registering a 1.4 percent decrease year on year.