Global crude steel output slips 2.4% on year to 161.4 mil mt in April

Crude steel production for 63 countries reporting to the World Steel Association, or worldsteel, slipped 2.4% year on year to 161.4 million mt in April , data from the international trade body showed May 23.

The production in April fell from 165.1 million mt in March.

China produced 92.6 million mt of crude steel in April, down 1.5% year on year and 3.3% month on month.

India, the world’s second biggest steel producer, produced 10.7 million mt in April, up 3.2% year on year but down 6.3% month on month.

Japanese output was down 3.1% year on year and 4% month on month at 7.2 million mt in April, while US output of 6.6 million mt declined 5.3% year on year but increased 1.5% month on month during the period.

Russian steel production was estimated at 6.4 million mt in April, up 1.9% compared with a year ago and down from 6.6 million mt in March.

South Korea’s production in April was at 5.7 million mt, slightly down from 5.8 million a month earlier and up 3% year on year.

Turkey’s April production was unchanged on the month at 2.7 million mt. The production fell 20.6% year on year.

EU-wide crude steel production dropped 11.7% year on year to 11.1 million mt in April. The output was slightly down from 11.9 million mt in March as high inflation weighed.

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed hot-rolled coil in Northwest Europe down Eur5/mt on the day at Eur755/mt ($813.44/mt) ex-works Ruhr on May 23. Platts assessed Northwest Europe hot-rolled coil at Eur820/mt ex-works Ruhr on April 28, down from Eur855/mt on April 3.

Author Annalisa Villa