Global crude steel production fell for a seventh consecutive month in March, by 4.2% on-year to 159.9 million tonnes. Besides India, the US and Germany continued to buck the trend, Kallanish notes from worldsteel data.
China saw output fall 6.3% in March to 87.04mt, but Indian output surged 9.4% to 15.3mt. Although Japanese production declined 4% to 6.9mt, South Korean output inched up 1.5% to 5.4mt.
EU output fell 4.6% in March to 11.35mt, although this was up considerably on February. The on-year decline happened despite German production surging 7.5% to 3.3mt and Italian output inching up 0.2% to 2.06mt. Spanish and French output were however estimated to have slumped significantly.
Turkish output rose 6.4% to 3.33mt (see separate story).
US crude steel production surged 5.2% in March to 7.2mt, but Brazilian output fell 2.5% to 2.8mt.
Russian production was estimated down 11.4% to 5.4mt and Ukrainian output was confirmed to have surged 28% to 702,000t.
January-March global crude steel production thus fell 2.3% on-year to 459.16mt, with India, the US, South Korea, Turkey and Germany bucking the trend.
