Global crude steel production rose by 2.9% year-on-year in March to 166.1 million metric tons (mt), according to data released by the World Steel Association (worldsteel).
Despite the March increase, global output in the first quarter of 2025 declined slightly by 0.4%, totaling 468.6 million mt.
Asia Leads Growth
Asia continued to dominate global steel production:
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China produced 92.8 million mt, a 4.6% increase year-on-year.
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India saw the largest jump in the region, with production hitting 13.8 million mt, up 7.0%.
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Japan produced 7.2 million mt, a slight rise of 0.2%.
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South Korea, however, saw a decline of 5.3%, producing 5.0 million mt.
Total output in Asia reached 123.6 million mt, up 3.9% year-on-year.
Mixed Results Across Regions
In Europe:
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EU-27 countries produced 11.7 million mt, a 0.2% increase.
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Germany, the region’s top producer, reported a sharp 11.7% decline, down to 3.1 million mt.
Turkey recorded 3.1 million mt, a 2.8% drop compared to March 2024.
In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS):
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Output fell by 3.5% to 7.1 million mt.
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Russia's estimated production stood at 6.2 million mt, down 3.2%.
North and South America Show Modest Gains
In North America, production totaled 9.2 million mt, a 1.4% increase.
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However, the United States saw a 1.5% decline, producing 6.7 million mt.
South America posted solid growth, reaching 3.7 million mt, up 6.5%, with Brazil contributing 2.9 million mt, up 6.6%.
Africa and Middle East Post Modest Increases
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Africa produced 1.9 million mt, a 0.6% year-on-year increase.
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The Middle East reported 5.3 million mt, rising by 1.9% compared to March last year.
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