Global crude steel production in October this year increased by 3.3 percent year on year to 136.5 million metric tons, according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel). In the given month, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 69.6 percent, up from 68.2 percent recorded in October 2015 and down 0.6 percentage points compared to September this year.
In the January-October period of this year, global crude steel production decreased to 1.33 billion mt, down 0.1 percent year on year.
In October this year, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 94.3 million mt, up 4.2 percent, with 68.5 million mt produced by China, up four percent, 9.06 million mt produced by Japan, increasing by 0.6 percent, 8.27 million mt produced by India, up 12.3 percent, and 5.96 million mt produced by South Korea, falling by 2.1 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.
EU-28 countries produced 14.05 million mt of crude steel in October, up 0.3 percent year on year. In October, Germany's output was 3.5 million mt, falling by 3.7 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.13 million mt, up 11.4 percent year on year, and France's crude steel output amounted to 1.32 million mt, up 12.8 percent year on year.
Turkey produced 2.97 million metric tons of crude steel in October, with an 8.6 percent increase from the same month in 2015. Iran's crude steel production in October this year amounted to 1.64 million mt, up 23.9 percent year on year. The CIS registered a crude steel output of 8.46 million mt in October, up 0.3 percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.94 million mt, increasing by two percent, and Ukraine producing 1.93 million mt, down 6.1 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
In North America in October, crude steel output totaled 9.12 million mt, up 1.6 percent, with the US producing 6.38 million mt, decreasing by 2.5 percent, and Mexico producing 1.65 million mt, up 21.7 percent, all on year-on-year basis. Crude steel output in South America in October amounted to 3.51 million mt, down 10.6 percent from October 2015, with Brazil's output totaling 2.72 million mt, decreasing by 8.8 percent year on year.