Crude steel production still lower than last year

Due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, many of this month’s figures are estimates that may be revised with next month’s production update.

World crude steel production was 873.1 Mt in the first six months of 2020, down by 6.0% compared to the same period in 2019. Asia produced 642.0 Mt of crude steel in the first half of 2020, a decrease of 3.0% over the first half of 2019. The EU produced 68.3 Mt of crude steel in the first half of 2020, down by 18.7% compared to the first half of 2019. North America’s crude steel production in the first half of 2020 was 50.2 Mt, a decrease of 17.6% compared to the first half of 2019.

China produced 91.6 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, an increase of 4.5% compared to June 2019. India produced 6.9 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 26.3% on June 2019. Japan produced 5.6 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 36.3% on June 2019. South Korea’s steel production for June 2020 was 5.1 Mt, down by 14.3% on June 2020.

Germany produced 2.5 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 27.3% on June 2019. Italy produced 1.8 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 13.0% on June 2019. France and Spain each produced 0.8 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 34.9% and 31.5% respectively on June 2019.

The United States produced 4.7 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, a decrease of 34.5% compared to June 2019.

Production in the C.I.S. is estimated to be 7.9 Mt in June 2020, down 5.0% on June 2019. Ukraine produced 1.8 Mt of crude steel in June 2020, up 9.0% on June 2019.

Turkey’s crude steel production for June 2020 was 2.8 Mt, up by 4.1% on June 2019.