Global crude steel production increased by 2.1pc to 154.4mn mt in January 2020 from the same month last year, according to the World steel Association, to which 64 countries report.
Chinese crude steel production rose by 7.2pc to 84.3mn mt last month over January 2019, while Indian and Japanese outputs decreased by 3.2pc to 9.3mn and 1.3pc to 8.2mn mt, respectively, during the same period. South Korea, too, saw a significant output decline in January 2020, producing 5.8mn mt, which is 8pc below its January 2019 production.
Within the EU, Italian crude steel production declined by 4.9pc to 1.9mn mt last month from the prior year period, however, French output rose by 4.5pc to 1.3mn mt during the same period.
US and Turkish crude steel production increased in January 2020 by 2.5pc to 7.7mn mt and 17.3pc to 3mn mt, respectively, over the same month in 2019. However, Brazilian and Ukrainian output decreased by 11.1pc to 2.7mn mt and 0.4pc to 1.8mn mt, respectively, during the same period.