The '80 Inch Hot Strip Mill at Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor is shown. Staff photo by Joseph S. Pete
The United States ranked fourth in steel production worldwide in March, narrowly edging out Russia in the most recent month for which data is available.
The Brussels, Belgium-based World Steel Association reported steelmakers worldwide made 165.1 million tons of steel in March, a 1.7% year-over-year increase. Steelmakers in the 64 steelmaking countries across the globe made 459.3 million tons of steel through the end of March in 2023, a 0.1% decline as compared to the same period in 2022.
The United States produced 6.7 million tons of steel in March, a 2.1% year-over-year decrease. Steel production fell 4% to 19.1 million tons in the United States so far in 2023, as compared to the January through March period the previous year.
In March, China again led the world in steel production, making 95.7 million tons — more than half the steel made in the world and more than eight times as much as the second-place country. India ranked second with 11.4 million tons and Japan third with 7.5 million tons in March. Russia ranked fifth with 6.6 million tons of steel, according to the World Steel Association.
Last year, China made 1 billion tons of steel, India 124 million tons and Japan 89 million tons. The United States ranked fourth worldwide with 80.7 million tons, a 5.9% year-over-year decline.
In March, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, Turkey and Italy rounded out the top 10 steel-producing countries worldwide, according to the World Steel Association.
North America produced 9.3 million tons of steel in March, a 2.6% year-over-year decrease, according to the World Steel Association. North American output fell 4.1% year-over-year to 26.8 million tons through the end of March.
In March, steel production fell by 5.6% to 11.9 million tons in the European Union, by 14.1% to 3.5 million tons in the rest of Europe, by 7.6% to 3.5 million tons in South Africa and by 17.5% to 3.1 million tons in the Middle East. Steel output rose by by 8.4% to 1.4 million tons in Africa, by 4.1% to 124.8 billion in Asia and Oceania and by 3% to 7.6 million tons in Russia and former Soviet states.
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