Global Steel Output Still Scaling Back

Global raw steel production continued to decline during April 2026, down 6.5 million metric tons or -4.2% from March to 153.4 million metric tons. It represents a -1.9% from April 2025, and 613.3 million tons produced during January-March are a -2.0% drop compared to the comparable period of last year.

Steel tonnage for 69 nations is reported each month by the World Steel Assn. Its report covers carbon steel output; stainless and specialty steel grades are not included.

The April data is the first to offer a year-over-year comparison with results involving the import tariffs put in place by the Trump administration in mid-March 2025. Unlike most of the tariffs implemented at that time, 50% penalties continue to be assessed on commodity-grade steel and raw articles made entirely or almost entirely of steel (e.g., steel coils and sheets); 25% charges are fixed to finished downstream products substantially made of imported steel; and a 10% tariff is attached to imported products made entirely of U.S.-melted and poured steel.

While steel production is down in aggregate, there is no apparent effect from the tariffs on the largest steelmaking nations - though U.S. steel production has increased markedly during the past 12 months.

The World Steel Assn. continues to issue a tepid forecast for steel consumption due to a range of depressive factors, including weakness in manufacturing and construction data in China and regional conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

The China results are surely influencing the global picture. That nation typically produces more than half of all raw steel in the world, and the 83.6 million metric tons produced during April were over 55.0% of the world’s total for that month.

However, the new total represented a -4.1% decrease from China’s March output, and a -2.8% drop from the April 2025 total. Over the first four months of 2026, Chinese steelmakers produce 331.1 million metric tons, which is 54.0% of total global production during that time, but it represents a -4.1% drop compared to China’s production total during the comparable period of 2025.

Indian steel production totaled 12.8 million metric tons during April, a -10.9% cut in output from March but 3.9% more than those producers delivered for April 2025. Their year-to-date output is 58.7 million metric tons through April, which is a 9.4% improvement over 2025.

The U.S. steel industry has risen from the world’s fourth to third-largest producer since the imposition of tariffs, and it’s April production total drew even with the March total at 7.2 million metric tons (7.9 million short tons.) That result is 9.4% higher than the April 2025 tonnage, and the YTD output is 28.1 million metric tons (30.9 million short tons), - 6.6% higher than the January-April 2025 total.

Japanese steel output for April was 6.6 million metric tons, a -4.5% drop from March and essentially even (+0.3%) with the April 2025 total. Japan’s four-month total steel output for this year is 26.7 million metric tons, -1.2% less than last year’s analog figure.

The South Korean industry (notably, the fourth largest supplier of steel to the U.S. market) produced 5.2 million metric tons of raw steel during April, -3.8% less than during March but 4.8% more than during April 2025. The country’s year-to-date output is 21.0 million metric tons over four months this year, 2.5% more than during the same period of 2025.

Russian steelmakers produces an estimated 5.0 million metric tons during April, -8.0% less than in March and -12.4% less than during April 2025. Their year-to-date output is estimated at 21 million metric tons, -12.0% less than during the first four months of last year.

The Turkish steel industry is comparatively stable, and even expanding year-over-year. During April Turkish output remained even with March at 3.3 million metric tons, which is 9.4% higher than last April’s result, and the 21.0 million metric tons produced YTD is 6.3% higher than last year.

Steelmaking in the European Union (27 nations) totaled 11. million metric tons of raw steel during April, down -1.8% from April 2025, and the January-April total of 42.8 million metric tons is -2.2% off last year’s total. Within those totals, Germany has produced 3.2 million metric tons during April, which is a -3.2% fall-off from March. But, that total is 9.5% more than the world’s eighth-largest steelmaking nation produced in April 2025, and steelmakers there have produced 12.5 million metric tons of steel YTD, a 9.1% increase from last year.