Global crude steel output down 8.9 percent in January

EU-27 countries produced 13.9 million mt of crude steel in January, down six percent compared with January 2011. In January this year, Germany's output was 3.35 million mt, down by nine percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.2 million mt, up five percent year on year, and Spain's crude steel output was 1.2 million mt, down 13 percent year on year.

Turkey produced 3.1 million metric tons of crude steel in January this year, with a 14 percent increase over the same month in 2011.

The CIS registered a crude steel output of 9.4 million mt in January, down one percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.9 million mt, remaining stable compared to January 2011, and Ukraine producing 2.9 million mt, down two percent on year-on-year basis.

In North America in January, crude steel output reached 10.3 million mt, up five percent year on year, with the US producing 7.6 million mt and Mexico producing 1.6 million mt, up six percent and five percent respectively on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in January reached 3.8 million mt, up by one percent year on year, with Brazil's output reaching 2.8 million mt, up by one percent year on year.

In the given month, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 71.3 percent, up by 0.5 percentage points compared to December 2011, and also down 9.6 percentage points compared to the same month last year.

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