WorldSteel
May 2019 global raw-steel output for 64 countries, with circles sized proportionally to the individual nations’ respective output.
May 2019 global raw-steel output for 64 countries, with circles sized proportionally to the individual nations’ respective output.
May 2019 global raw-steel output for 64 countries, with circles sized proportionally to the individual nations’ respective output.
May 2019 global raw-steel output for 64 countries, with circles sized proportionally to the individual nations’ respective output.
May 2019 global raw-steel output for 64 countries, with circles sized proportionally to the individual nations’ respective output.

China, U.S. Still Expanding Steel Output

June 25, 2019
May 2019 raw-steel production rose 5.4% year-over-year and 5.0% YTD, though most large producer nations are not contributing to the increase.

Global raw-steel production rose for the fourth consecutive month in May 2019, increasing 3.9% over the April result to 162.7 million metric tons. The new total also represents a 5.4% year-over-year increase over the May 2018 result.

Through the first five months of 2019, steelmakers in 64 countries have produced 764.1 million metric tons of raw steel, a 5.0% increase over the January-May 2018 total.

The data is supplied by the World Steel Assn. in its monthly raw-steel production report, which represents about 99% of the world’s installed raw-steel capacity.

The output increases are particularly notable among the world’s largest steel-producing nations. In China, the world’s largest producer, May raw-steel production rose 4.8% over the April output and 9.0% over the May 2018 result. Through the first five months of 2019, Chinese raw-steel output is 404.9 million metric tons, up 10.2% over the comparable period of 2018.

Production increases were more modest among the other largest steel-producing nations, and in several examples the year-over-year and year-to-date results show declining steel output. This is the case in France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, and Turkey.

In the United States, May raw-steel output rose 4.3% from April to 7.6 million metric tons (8.4 million short tons), which is 40% higher than the April total and 5.1% higher than the May 2018 result. Through the first five months of 2018, U.S. steelmakers have produced 37.2 million metric tons (41.0 million short tons) of raw steel, a 6.2% year-over-year increase.

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