June global steel output declines on year as coronavirus crisis lingers

Crude steel production in the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association in June dropped 7%, year on year to 148.3 million mt due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the group said July 23, underscoring much of the June data estimates that may be revised with next month’s production update.

Asia produced 642 million mt of crude steel in the first half of 2020, a decrease of 3% compared to the first half of 2019.

China produced 91.6 million mt of crude steel in June 2020, marking an increase of 4.5% compared to June 2019. India produced 6.9 million mtof crude steel in June 2020, down 26.3% from June 2019.

The European Union produced 68.3 million mt of crude steel in the first half of 2020, down by 18.7% compared to the first half of 2019.

The largest European producer, Germany, produced 2.5 million mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 27.3% from June 2019.

Italy, the second largest EU producer, registered a decrease in the production of 13% to 1.8 million mt of crude steel in June 2020.

France and Spain each produced 800,000 mt of crude steel in June 2020, down 34.9% and 31.5% respectively on June 2019.

Turkey’s crude steel production for June 2020 was 2.8 million mt, up by 4.1% from June 2019.

North America’s crude steel production in the first half of 2020 was 50.2 million mt, a decrease of 17.6% compared to the first half of 2019.

The United States produced 4.7 mt of crude steel in June 2020, a decrease of 34.5% compared to June 2019.

In South America crude steel production was down by 30.4% to 2.56 million mt in June respective to June last year with Brazil registering a decrease of 27% to 2.1 million mt of crude steel in June.

Production in the C.I.S. was estimated to be 7.9 million mt in June 2020, down 5% from June 2019. Ukraine produced 1.8 million mt of crude steel in June 2020, up 9% from June 2019.

— Annalisa Villa