Global crude steel production in January this year increased by seven percent year on year to 136.5 million metric tons, according to the World Steel Association (worldsteel). In the given month, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 68.5 percent, up 3.4 percentage points compared to January 2016 and up 0.9 percent from December 2016.
In January, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 93.4 million mt, up 7.1 percent, with 67.2 million mt produced by China, up 7.4 percent, 9.0 million mt produced by Japan, increasing by 2.7 percent, 8.4 million mt produced by India, up 12 percent, and 5.86 million mt produced by South Korea, rising by 3.2 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.
EU-28 countries produced 13.8 million mt of crude steel in January, up 2.4 percent year on year. In January, Germany's output was 3.65 million mt, rising by 1.2 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 1.82 million mt, up 0.3 percent year on year, and France's crude steel output amounted to 1.14 million mt, down 14 percent year on year.
Turkey produced 2.93 million metric tons of crude steel in January, with a 12.8 percent increase from January last year. Iran's crude steel production in January amounted to 1.52 million mt, up 11.3 percent year on year. The CIS registered a crude steel output of 8.9 million mt in January, up 11.4 percent year on year, with Russia producing 6.18 million mt, increasing by 11.6 percent, and Ukraine producing 2.1 million mt, up 8.5 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
In North America in January, crude steel output totaled 9.44 million mt, up four percent, with the US producing 6.87 million mt, increasing by 6.5 percent, and Mexico producing 1.51 million mt, up 8.4 percent, all on year-on-year basis. Crude steel output in South America in January amounted to 3.56 million mt, up 11.6 percent from January last year, with Brazil's output totaling 2.86 million mt, increasing by 14.4 percent year on year.