Global crude steel output down 3.5 percent in Nov from Oct

According to the World Steel Association (worldsteel), in November this year the crude steel output of 62 countries surveyed across the globe reached 122 million mt, increasing by 5.1 percent on year-on-year basis and down 3.5 percent compared to October this year. Total global crude steel production in the first 11 months of the current year increased by 0.9 percent compared to the same period of 2011, amounting to 1.4 billion mt.

In November, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 79.5 million mt, up by 9.2 percent, with 57.5 million mt produced by China, rising 13.7 percent, 8.5 million mt produced by Japan, down by 2.3 percent, and 5.6 million mt produced by South Korea, down by 2.7 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.

EU-27 countries produced 13.5 million mt of crude steel in November this year, down 5.3 percent compared with November 2011. In November this year, Germany's output was 3.4 million mt, down slightly by 0.2 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.2 million mt, down 12.9 percent year on year, France's crude steel output was 1.3 million mt, down 5.4 percent year on year, and Spain's crude steel output was 1 million mt, down 14.2 percent year on year.

Turkey produced 3 million metric tons of crude steel in November this year, with a 4.6 percent increase from the same month in 2011. Meanwhile, Iran produced 1.2 million mt of crude steel in November, up by 12 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.

The CIS registered a crude steel output of 8.9 million mt in November, down 2.5 percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.5 million mt, decreasing 0.7 percent compared to November 2011, and Ukraine producing 2.7 million mt, down 7.9 percent on year-on-year basis.

In North America in November, crude steel output reached 9.4 million mt, down one percent year on year, with the US producing 6.7 million mt and Mexico producing 1.5 million mt, down 4.8 percent and up 11.4 percent respectively on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in November amounted to 3.8 million mt, down slightly by 0.4 percent year on year, with Brazil's output totaling 2.8 million mt, up by 2.4 percent year on year.

In November this year, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 76.1 percent, decreasing from 76.5 percent recorded in October this year, and up 1.6 percentage points compared to the same month last year.

The top 10 crude steel producing countries in November 2012 are as follows:

Tonnages (x 1,000 mt)