World’s Top-Tier Steel Producing Countries in May '18

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The monthly world crude steel output surged higher significantly, reporting the highest year-on-year jump so far this year in May 2018. The statistics released by the World Steel Association (worldsteel) suggests 6.6% jump in production during the month. The output totaled 154.856 million tonnes (Mt) in May this year, as compared with the output of 145.237 Mt in May last year.

The Chinese output continued to rise, despite stricter controls implemented by the Chinese administration to curb excess capacities. The output totaled 81.127 Mt, accounting for nearly 75% of the total Asian output. The country accounted for 52.4% of the total global output. Also, Japan held on to its position as the world’s second largest steel producer, with India in third spot.

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South America was the only region to record reduced monthly output in May 2018. The regional output dropped by 5.7% during the month. Meantime, North American output surged higher by 4.3%. The Middle East region recorded 15.2% jump in output. The crude steel output by the Oceania region was up by 16.5%.

The crude steel capacity utilization rate by 64 countries reporting to worldsteel soared by 4.2% from 73.5% in May 2017 to 77.7% in May this year.

The table below provides the details about leading crude steel producers during the month of May 2018.

Note: The above outputs are in thousand tonnes.

The leading crude steel producers during the initial five months of 2018 are listed out in the below table.

Note: The above outputs are in thousand tonnes.