Data released by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) show that global crude steel production for January 2008 rose 4.9 percent year on year to 113 million metric tons.
China is again the world's largest steel producing country with estimated crude steel production of 40.9 million metric tons in the first month of 2008, an increase of 7.3 percent from a year earlier. Total production in the Asian region amounted to 62.011 million metric tons, up 5.5 percent on a year ago.
Germany produced 4.1 million metric tons of crude steel in January of 2008, showing a reduction of 4.9 percent year on year. Italy produced an estimated 2.85 million metric tons in the month in question, marking an increase of 6.6 percent from a year earlier. France posted an output figure of 1.6 million metric tons, a decrease of seven percent compared to January 2007. Production in the UK was 1.14 million metric tons, 0.5 percent lower than in January 2007. Total production in the EU-27 amounted to 17.9 million metric tons, down 0.4 percent on a year ago.
Turkey's crude steel production in the first month of 2008 rose 8.6 percent year on year to 2.2 million metric tons.
Brazil produced three million metric tons of crude steel in January 2008, an increase of 13.6 percent compared to January 2007.
The US produced an estimated 8.4 million metric tons in January 2008, registering an 11.4 percent increase year on year.