The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has indicated that, while global crude steel production increased by 5.8 percent to 1.65 million mt in 2013, it decreased by 1.2 percent in 2014 and by 2.5 percent in the first ten months of the current year, all on year on year basis.
According to the 2015 data, worldwide steel production in almost all regions showed declines, and the most dramatic decline was seen in North America with an 8.8 percent drop.
Although global crude steel production declined in January-July period of the current year, global steel exports indicated an increase of four percent. The share of exports in total steel production in the previous years was 25 percent: however, as a result of declining production and increasing exports changing the balance in 2015, the share of exports in production has reached 30 percent.
In the January-September period this year, China’s steel exports increased by 18.4 percent year on year to 106.7 million mt, with its steel exports to the ASEAN region, South Korea, the EU, India and the Middle East increasing considerably. Due to the sharp increase in China's steel exports, a decrease was observed in the exports of other net steel exporter countries.