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Global crude steel production was 162.7 million tons in April, down 5.1 percent from April 2021, according to World Steel Association data released May 24.
Production from January to April was 619.1 million tons, down 7.1 percent from the previous year’s levels. Overall production in April was 1.06 percent higher than in March.
The largest producer, China, generated 92.8 million tons of crude steel in April, accounting for 57 percent of world crude steel production. This is a 5.2 percent decrease from April 2021, but a 5.1 percent increase from March.
Total steel produced in China from January to April was 336.2 million tons, down 10.3% from the same period a year earlier.
The world’s second largest steel producer, India, produced 10.1 million tons in April, up 6.2% year-on-year but down 8.8% from March. India’s January-April production was 42.3 million tons, also up 6.5 percent year-on-year.
Turkey and Russia were the only other producers in the top 10 to record increased production in April. Turkish production was 3.4 million tons, up 1.6 percent, while Russian production increased 0.6 percent to an estimated 6.4 million tons.
Japan’s April production was 7.5 million tons, down 4.4 percent from a year earlier and 6.1 percent from March, while January-April production was 30.5 million tons, down 3.3 percent from the same period in 2021.
April U.S. production was 6.9 million tons, down 3.9 percent year-on-year and 0.2 percent from March, bringing the four-month total to 27.1 million tons, down 1.7 percent from the same period in 2021.
South Korea’s production in April was 5.5 million tons, down 4.1% from a year earlier and 2.9% from March. From January to April, South Korean production was 22.4 million tons, down 4 percent
Crude steel production in Europe, including the UK, was 16.5 million tons in April, down 3.7% from April 2021, but up 1.1% from March. The region’s January-April production was 65 million tons, down 4.2% from the same period in 2021.
Germany, Europe’s largest steel producer, produced 3.3 million tons in April, down 1.1 percent from a year earlier but in line with March.
In recent months, the European steel market has been affected by a lack of demand from the automotive sector due to a shortage of semiconductors and chips, which is limiting vehicle production.
Pig iron production by 38 countries was 112 million tons in April, down from 114.2 million tons a year ago but up from 108 million tons in March.
World production of direct reduced pig iron was 9.4 million tons, up from 9.3 million tons a year ago and 9.3 million tons in March.
