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    January 26, 2022

    Global Steel Production Reached New Heights Last Year

    Written by David Schollaert

    Global steel production expanded last year as steelmakers around the world produced an estimated 1.905 billion metric tons, according to 2021 data from the World Steel Association (worldsteel). The total was 3.9% or 71.4 million tons above 2020’s COVID-stricken year.

    Last year’s total also outperformed the pre-pandemic sum from 2019 by 3.5% or 63.6 million metric tons. In fact, 2021’s estimated 1.905 billion metric tons of steel production worldwide is the highest mark to date, per worldsteel data, driven by repeated record-breaking months of crude steel output in Q2, when China reached an all-time high of 99.5 million metric tons in May.

    David Schollaert

    David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

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