Brussels - World crude steel production for the 66 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 124 million metric tons (mmt) in May. This is 29.1 percent higher than May 2009.

China’s crude steel production for May 2010 was 56.1 mmt, an increase of 20.7 percent compared to May 2009.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan produced 9.7 mmt of crude steel in May 2010, up 50.2 percent compared to the same month last year. South Korea ’s crude steel production for May 2010 was 5.2 mmt, 28 percent up compared to the same month last year.

In the EU, Germany’s crude steel production for May 2010 was 4.1 mmt, an increase of 87.7 percent on May 2009. Italy produced 2.5 mmt, 42 percent higher than the same month in 2009. Spain produced 1.6 mmt of crude steel in May 2010, an increase of 24.9 percent compared to May 2009.

Turkey produced 2.5 mmt of crude steel in May 2010, an 18.8 percent increase over the same month in 2009.

The US produced 7.2 mmt of crude steel in May 2010, an increase of 73.8 percent compared to May 2009.

Brazilian crude steel production was 2.9 mmt, 50.8 percent higher than May 2009.

World crude steel production in May 2010 was 9.9 percent higher in comparison with May 2007, before the impact of the global economic crisis was felt. However, while China, South Korea and Turkey showed increased crude steel production in May 2010 compared to the same month 2007, the US, Italy, Spain and Japan are not yet back to pre-crisis production levels. The EU is -18 percent, North America -14.8 percent and Latin America -9.8 percent down on the five months to May total in 2007.

The world crude steel capacity utilisation ratio of the 66 countries in May 2010 slightly declined to 82 percent from 83.4 percent in April 2010. Compared to May 2009, the utilisation ratio in May 2010 increased by 15 percentage points.

Quelle: World Steel Association (worldsteel)

Zurück