Data released by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) show that global crude steel production rose 7 percent year on year to 99.7 million metric tons in March 2006. China is again the largest steel-producing country with crude steel production of 32.9 million metric tons in March, an increase of 20.1 percent from a year earlier. Japan's crude steel production rose 0.8 percent year on year to 9.7 million metric tons. Total production in the Asia region amounted to 51.7 million metric tons, an increase of 12.7 percent from a year earlier. Crude steel production in Turkey reached 1.9 million metric tons in March, up 10.8 percent year on year. Brazil's crude steel production fell 10.2 percent year on year to 2.5 million metric tons in March.
Global crude steel production (in thousands of metric tons) March February March %change 3 months 2006 2005 2005 Mar-06/05 2006 2005 %change Other Europe 2.816 2.379 2.534 11.1 7.739 7.275 6.4 EU (15) 15.176 13.707 14.728 3.0 42.807 43.002 -0.5 EU (25) 17.323 15.598 16.654 4.0 48.906 48.868 0.1 C.I.S 9.560 8.635 9.715 -1.6 27.908 27.929 -0.1 N.America 11.278 10.304 11.141 1.2 32.441 32.528 -0.3 S.America 3.669 3.196 3.819 -3.9 10.559 11.123 -5.1 Africa 1.329 1.266 1.513 -12.1 4.060 4.310 -5.8 MiddleEast 1.325 1.166 1.222 8.4 3.761 3.578 5.1 Asia 51.668 46.680 45.838 12.7 146.665 131.775 11.3 Ocenia 701 661 705 -0.6 2.120 2.104 0.7 Total 62 99.669 89.886 93.140 7.0 284.159 269.490 5.4 countries