Global steel production totaled 147.3 million metric tons during the first full month of 2026, a 5.2% improvement over the December 2025 result - the highest monthly output since July 2025 and the first month-to-month increase since October, according to the World Steel Assn. Even so, the January output is still -6.5% less than the January 2025 total.
The World Steel Assn. tracks raw steel production in 69 countries (a total that has declined steadily during the 2020s, due to falling output.) Annual steel production totals have fallen for four consecutive years, mainly due to weak demand manufacturing and construction activities that have been weakened by multiple factors, such as inflation and high interest rates, higher energy costs, and regional conflicts.
Last October World Steel’s forecast group projected that 2026 global steel consumption would rise only slightly from 2025 consumption to 1.77 billion metric tons.
The introduction of U.S. tariffs on steel imports has strengthened the U.S. industry, lifting it from fourth to third in World Steel’s ranking of global producer nations.
China remains by far the world's largest steel-producing nation, and the 75.3 million metric tons produced there in January represents over 51% of the world’s total output last month. More important, while the new figure is a 9.4% improvement over December, it is also -13.9% less than the January 2025 total.
Indian steelmakers produced 15.1 million metric tons of raw steel during January, 2.0% more than in December and 10.5% more than in January 2025.
U.S. steel tonnage rose 2.8% from December to 7.1 million metric tons in January, 3.3% more than the January 2025 result.
Japan’s steel industry produce 6.8 million metric tons of raw steel during January, 2.9% more than in December and just -0.5% less than during January 2025.
South Korea, which as of January has risen to fifth place in the World Steel ranking, produced 5.6 million metric tons during January, 5.0% more than during January 2025.
Russian steelmakers are estimated to have produced 5.5 million metric tons of raw steel during January, -5.5% less than during December and -7.4% less than during January 2024.
In the 27 nations comprising the European Union, January raw-steel production totaled 3.7 million metric tons, of which 2.7 million metric tons were produced in Germany, the eighth-largest steelmaking nation. German output improved 12.9% from December, and up 15.0% from January 2025.
The World Steel Assn.’s monthly report tracks carbon steel produced in basic-oxygen or electric arc furnaces and cast into semi-finished forms like billets for bar and rod products; slabs for flat products; or blooms, for beam and pipe products. Specialty and stainless steel volumes are not included.
About the Author
Robert Brooks
Content Director
Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries.