Steel Products Prices North America

Worldsteel: Global Crude Steel Production Up 5.4 Percent in May

June 29, 2019

The World Steel Association reports that total global crude steel production in May increased to 162.7 million metric tons (179.3 million short tons), an increase of 5.4 percent over May 2018.

Leading the way was China with a 10 percent increase to 89.1 million metric tons (98.2 million short tons). Chinese production exceeded an annual rate of one billion metric tons for the first time. China’s share of global steel production hit a record 54.7 percent, according to Steel Market Update calculations.

May production in the U.S. increased by 5.4 percent to 7.7 million metric tons (8.5 million short tons) versus last year.

Following is the May production by other notable steelmaking nations, in short tons: India, up 5.1 percent to 10.1 million tons; South Korea, up 2.2 percent to 7.1 million tons; Italy, up 1.1 percent to 2.4 million ton; Ukraine, up 7.8 percent to 2.0 million tons; and Brazil, up 2.9 percent to 3.1 million tons.

May crude steel production declined by single-digit percentages in Turkey, Japan, France and Spain.

Members of the Brussels-based World Steel Association represent about 85 percent of global steel production.