Global crude steel production in January this year increased by one percent both month on month and year on year to 146.7 million metric tons, according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel).
In January this year, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 102.55 million mt, rising by 2.3 percent, with 75 million mt produced by China, up 4.3 percent, 8.14 million mt produced by Japan, decreasing by 9.8 percent, 9.2 million mt produced by India, falling by 1.9 percent, and 6.21 million mt produced by South Korea, falling by 1.5 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.
EU-28 countries produced 13.8 million mt of crude steel in January, down by 3.5 percent year on year. In the given period, Germany's output was 3.41 million mt, falling by 7.2 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 1.96 million mt, down by 3.6 percent year on year, and France's crude steel output amounted to 1.24 million mt, down by 9.7 percent year on year.
Turkey produced 2.56 million metric tons of crude steel in January, with a 19.5 percent decrease from the same month of last year. Iran's crude steel production in January amounted to 2.23 million mt, down by 2.6 percent year on year. The CIS registered a crude steel output of 8.32 million mt, falling by 4.3 on year-on-year basis, with Russia producing 5.8 million mt, down 4.5 percent, and Ukraine producing 1.85 million mt, declining by 4.9 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
In North America in January, crude steel output totaled 10.51 million mt, increasing by 7.3 percent, with the US producing 7.64 million mt, rising by 11 percent, and Mexico producing 1.66 million mt, down by 3.2 percent, all on year-on-year basis. Crude steel output in South America in January amounted to 3.65 million mt, rising by 2.5 percent from January 2018, with Brazil's output totaling 2.93 million mt, rising by 2.3 percent year on year.