Global crude steel output up 1.3 percent in October

According to the World Steel Association (worldsteel), in October this year the crude steel output of 62 countries surveyed across the globe reached 126.1 million mt, increasing by 1.3 percent on year-on-year basis and up 1.8 percent compared to September this year. Total global crude steel production in the first 10 months of the current year increased by just 0.75 percent compared to the same period of 2011, amounting to 1.27 billion mt.

In October, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 81.7 million mt, up by 4.4 percent, with 59.1 million mt produced by China, rising 8.1 percent, 8.8 million mt produced by Japan, down by 6.7 percent, and 5.8 million mt produced by South Korea, down by 4.9 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.

EU-27 countries produced 14.2 million mt of crude steel in October this year, down 6.4 percent compared with October 2011. In October this year, Germany's output was 3.7 million mt, up by 0.3 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.4 million mt, down 10.6 percent year on year, Spain's crude steel output was 1.1 million mt, down 15.6 percent year on year, and France's crude steel output was 1.3 million mt, down 7.2 percent year on year.

Turkey produced 2.9 million metric tons of crude steel in October this year, with a 6.9 percent decrease from the same month in 2011, influenced by the holiday season in October this year. Meanwhile, Iran did not register any crude steel output in October of the current year.

The CIS registered a crude steel output of 9.5 million mt in October, up 4.4 percent year on year, with Russia producing 6.4 million mt, increasing 12 percent compared to October 2011, and Ukraine producing 2.8 million mt, down 8.5 percent on year-on-year basis.

In North America in October, crude steel output reached 9.76 million mt, down 1.3 percent year on year, with the US producing 6.9 million mt and Mexico producing 1.6 million mt, down 3.3 percent and up 4.75 percent respectively on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in October amounted to 4.2 million mt, up by 5.6 percent year on year, with Brazil's output totaling 3.15 million mt, up by 9.1 percent year on year.

In October this year, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 76.5 percent, decreasing from 77.7 percent recorded in September this year, and down 1.4 percentage points compared to the same month last year.

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

Tonnages (x 1,000 mt)