Global steel output recovers to 6-month high in January

The total amount of raw steel produced around the world recovered 5.5% from December to an estimated 147.3 million metric tons (mt) in January, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel) data. This marks the highest monthly production in six months.

On a 12-month moving average (12MMA) basis through January, annual production has averaged 148.9 million mt per month over the last year, down 2.7% from the same period one year prior (see Figure 1). Up until September, annual output had generally hovered between 152 million and 154 million mt for nearly three years, similar to pre-pandemic levels.

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.

David Schollaert

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