In May this year, Germany's crude steel output amounted to 3.7 million metric tons, increasing 3.1 percent from the previous month and down 9.7 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, according to the information provided by the German steel federation Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl (WV Stahl).
In the first five months of 2012, Germany's crude steel production totaled 18.16 million metric tons, falling by six percent as compared to the same period of 2011.
On the other hand, in April Germany's total hot rolled steel product output amounted to 3 million metric tons, decreasing 9.7 percent year on year, including 2 million metric tons of flat steel products - down 13.6 percent year on year, and 1 million metric tons of long steel products - down 1.4 percent year on year.