World steel production continues to grow at the expense of China
World crude steel production for the 64 countries that reported to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 156.0 million tonnes in August 2019, up 3.4% from August 2018.
Steel production in China in August 2019 was 87.3 million tons, an increase of 9.3% compared to August 2018.
Smelting in China has steadily increased in recent years, despite mandatory plant closures aimed at reducing high levels of pollution in many parts of the country. The production cuts were initially mandated by Beijing, but last year the local authorities set their own production cuts.
There are growing concerns in the market that China may enter a new circle of overproduction of steel, which it will have to sell at lower prices on the international market.
In August 2019, Japan produced 8.1 million tons of steel, down 7.8% from August 2018. Steel production in South Korea in August 2019 amounted to 5.9 million tons, showing a decrease of 2.6% compared to August 2018.
In the EU, Germany produced 3.3 million tonnes of steel in August 2019, up 0.8% on August 2018. Italy produced 0.9 million tonnes of steel in August 2019, down 26.7% from August 2018. France produced 1.1 million tonnes of steel, an 11.2% increase in production compared to August 2018. Spain produced 1.1 million tonnes of steel in August 2019, 4.6% less than in August 2018.
The U.S. produced 7.5 million tonnes of steel in August 2019, up 0.3% from August 2018.
Brazilian steel production in August 2019 was 2.5 million tonnes, down 13.4% from August 2018.
Steel production in Turkey in August 2019 was 2.6 million tonnes, 12.4% less than in August 2018.
Steel production in Ukraine in August 2019 amounted to 1.9 million tons, which is 8.5% more than in August 2018. At the same time, according to preliminary data from Ukrmetallurgprom, in September 2019, metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine smelted 1.76 million tons of steel, which is 9.2 percent less than in August 2019.