According to a report released by the World Steel Association (worldsteel), apparent crude steel use worldwide rose by 13.96 percent year on year to 1.38 billion metric tons in 2010, after declining by seven percent in 2009.
China's apparent steel use in 2010 reached 599 million mt with an increase of 5.1 percent year on year. China's steel consumption per capita is recorded as 445.2 kg in 2010, increasing 4.4 percent as compared to the 2009 level.
South Korea's apparent steel use in 2010 increased 15.37 percent year on year to 54.6 million mt, while its steel consumption per capita reached 1,122 kg with an increase of 15.1 percent as compared to 2009. Taiwan's apparent steel use in 2010 increased 57.6 percent year on year to 21.2 million mt, while its steel consumption per capita reached 926 kg, with an increase of 57.2 percent as compared to 2009, after a decline of 33.6 recorded in 2009.
Japan's apparent steel use was previously expected to reach 61 million mt in 2010 by worldsteel. The country's apparent steel use is recorded as 68.3 million mt in 2010, with an increase of 20.46 percent year on year.
India was one of the countries which remained relatively resilient during the global crisis, and its apparent steel use was expected to grow by 12.1 percent in 2010. India's apparent steel use was 66.02 million mt in 2010, with an increase of 7.41 percent from 2009 after an increase of 9.36 percent recorded in 2009. India'a steel consumption per capita was 56.3 kg in 2010, increasing six percent year on year.
Apparent steel use in the US reached 90.45 million mt in 2010, increasing 44.9 percent from 2009 after a sharp fall of 39.1 percent recorded in 2009. In the US steel consumption per capita was 291.6 kg, recording an increase of 43.5 percent from the 2009 level.
In the EU-27 in which the economies were also severely affected by the global crisis, apparent steel use increased 23.67 percent year on year in 2010 amounting to 160.1 million mt, after a decrease of 36.45 percent in 2009. Steel consumption per capita in the EU-27 was 339.9 kg in 2010 increasing 24.3 percent from the 2009 level.
Turkey saw its apparent steel use increase by 30.1 percent year on year in 2010, reaching 25.1 million mt, while its steel consumption per capita was 322.8 kg in 2010, with an increase of 29.28 percent compared to 2009.
Apparent steel use in the CIS region amounted to 55.7 million mt, increasing 36.75 percent from 2009, while the country's steel consumption per capita in 2010 was 218 kg, with an increase of 37.2 percent year on year.