World Steel Association has announced that total world crude steel production for the 66 countries reporting to it was 95.6 million tonnes in May 2009, down by 21% YoY.
China''s crude steel production for May 2009 was 46.5 million tonnes, up by 0.6% YoY. Japan produced 6.5 million tonnes of crude steel in May 2009, down by 38.5% YoY. South Korea showed a decrease of 11.8% YoY, producing 4.2 million tonnes of crude steel in May 2009.
In the EU, Germany’s crude steel was 2.2 million tonnes in May 2009, down by 47.8% YoY. Italy produced 1.7 million tonnes, down by 41.6% YoY. Spain produced 1.2 million tonnes, down by 41.3% YoY. France showed a decrease of 41.3% YoY, producing 1 million tonnes in May 2009.
The US produced 4.3 million tonnes of crude steel, down by 50.6% YoY. Brazil produced 1.9 million tonnes of crude steel, down by 36.3% YoY. Russia''s crude steel production was 4.7 million tonnes, down by 31.2% YoY. Ukraine produced 2.4 million tonnes, down by 40% YoY. Turkey produced 2.1 million tonnes of crude steel in May 2009, down by 16.1% YoY. Iran produced 0.9 million tonnes crude steel in May 2009, up by 11.6% YoY.
During January to May 2009 period, world crude steel production was 449 million tonnes, down by 22.4% YoY. Asia produced 294 million tonnes of crude steel, down by 8.8% YoY. The EU produced 50.7 million tonnes of steel, down by 44.4% YoY. North America showed a 49.3% YoY decline, producing 29 million tonnes during the first five months of 2009.
China produced 217.2 million tonnes of crude steel for the first five months of 2009, a slight increase of 0.4 % YoY and Iran showed an increase of 12.6% YoY, producing 4.7 million tonnes of crude steel for the first five months of 2009. All the other major steel producing countries showed a decrease for the first five months of 2009.