Global crude steel production in the first four months of the year increased by 13.7pc to 662.8mn mt from the same period in 2020 and rose by 23.3pc to 169.5mn mt in April 2021, compared to April 2020, according to Worldsteel Association (Worldsteel).
Africa’s steel production grew by 17pc in the four-month period to 5.2mn mt from the same period in 2020 and was up by 93.9pc in April this year to 1.3mn mt from April last year.
Crude steel production in Asia and Oceania rose by 15.3pc to 487.8mn mt in the first four months of the year compared to the same four-month period in 2020 and was up by 19.2pc to 125mn mt in April 2021 compared to April 2020.
China’s steel production in April 2021 grew by 13.4pc to 97.9mn mt and India’s steel production surged by 152.1pc to 8.3mn mt annually. Japan’s actual and South Korea’s estimated steel production rose by 18.9pc and 15.4pc respectively to 7.8mn mt and 5.9mn mt correspondingly in April this year from April 2020.
Crude steel production in the CIS increased by 7.4pc to 35.3mn mt in the first four months of 2021 from the same four-month period in 2020 while it rose by 20.7pc to 9mn mt in April 2021 compared to the same month in 2020. Russia’s crude steel output has been estimated to have increased by 15.1pc to 6.5mn mt in April 2021 compared to April 2020 among the commonwealth nations.
The European Union’s crude steel output from January to April rose by 11.6pc to 51mn mt compared to the same months in 2020 while it increased by 42.8pc to 12.9mn mt in April this year from the same month last year. Germany’s crude steel output increased by 31.5pc in April 2021 to 3.4mn mt annually.
Crude steel production in the other European nations rose by 13.1pc to 16.7mn mt during the first four months in 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2020 and increased by 33.9pc to 4.2mn mt in April alone from last year. Crude steel output in Turkey surged by 46.6pc to 3.3mn mt in April this year from the same month last year.
Output was up by 6pc in the Middle East in the January to April period to 14.1mn mt from the same months in 2020 and increased by 15.3pc to 3.5mn mt in April 2021 compared to the same month in 2020. Iran’s crude steel output is estimated to have increased by 6.4pc to 2.5mn mt in April on an annual basis.
North America’s crude steel production grew by 3.8pc to 38mn mt in the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2020 while it rose by 38.2pc to 9.7mn mt in April this year from April last year. The US saw a 43pc increase to 6.9mn mt in April this year compared to the same month in 2020.
Crude steel production in South America rose by 18.2pc to 14.7mn mt in the January to April period from the same months last year and it increased by 70.9pc to 3.8mn mt in April this year from the corresponding month in 2020. Brazil’s production rose by 59.3pc to 3.1mn mt in April compared to April last year.