Crude steel production in Germany fell significantly in September, declining 13% year on year to 2.63 million metric tons, mainly due to the slump in blast furnace route production, according to realized data from the German steel federation, WV Stahl, published on Oct. 22.
The steep monthly decline has forced a significant downward revision to the country’s full-year production outlook, as the recovery in production has now cooled off noticeably.
Based on production figures from the first nine months of the year, the projected total for the full year now stands at 35.4 million mt, rising just 4% from the same period in 2025, according to the association’s extrapolation. That figure marks a sharp deterioration from the trajectory implied by first-half data, when the equivalent annualized projection stood at 37.3 million mt, 9% higher on the year.
Steel production using blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace technology in September fell 20.2% year on year to 1.7 million mt, while electric arc furnace output rose 4.3 % to 929,000 mt. From January to September, BF steel production increased 3.8% year on year to 18.16 million, and EAF output rose 4.3% to 8.37 million mt.
The figures underline the fragility of the recovery in Germany’s steel sector, a cornerstone of the country’s manufacturing economy and a critical supplier to its automotive, machinery and construction industries.
September pig iron production fell 19.9% year on year to 1.56 million mt, while output of hot-rolled steel products declined 10.6 % to 2.32 million mt. Both categories nevertheless recorded modest growth over the first nine months, rising 2.6% and 2.5% on the year, respectively.
Author: Annalisa Villa
