World Steel Output Drops 4.2% in March 2026: worldsteel

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Global crude steel production declined in March 2026, reflecting uneven regional performance and continued market challenges, according to the World Steel Association. Output across 69 reporting countries totaled 159.9 million tonnes (Mt), marking a 4.2% drop compared to March 2025.

Regionally, production trends remained mixed. Africa recorded the strongest growth, producing 2.2 Mt, up 11.6% year-on-year. North America also posted gains, rising 3.5% to 9.5 Mt, while Europe outside the EU grew 4.9% to 3.8 Mt. In contrast, Asia and Oceania—the largest producing region—saw output decline 3.9% to 119.3 Mt. The EU (27) registered a 4.6% drop to 11.4 Mt.

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The Middle East experienced the steepest contraction, with production plunging 33.5% to 3.5 Mt. Output in Russia and other CIS countries plus Ukraine fell 7.9% to 6.6 Mt, while South America reported a marginal 0.5% decline to 3.6 Mt.

During the first quarter of 2026, total production reached 459.2 Mt, down 2.3% year-on-year. African crude steel production witnessed a surge of 7.4% during the quarter, whereas the output by Russia and other CIS counties tumbled by 9.8%.

The reporting countries accounted for approximately 98% of global crude steel output in 2025, underscoring the dataset’s significance.