Steel production remains strong domestically and abroad.
Domestic raw steel production was up 4.4 percent for the year-to-date through March 25, according to American Iron and Steel Institute statistics. Capability utilization was at 73.4 percent compared with 71.3 percent a year ago.
World crude steel production increased 4.1 percent to 126.6 million tonnes (Mt) in February from the same period in 2016, the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reported. A 4.6 percent increase in production in China contributed to the overall increase.
The US produced -1.0 percent less, 6.4 Mt in total, of crude steel in February than it did last year. There were 29 days in February 2016.
Steel production increased by:
- 24.7 percent in Oceania;
- 18.2 percent in Africa;
- 15.8 percent in Other Europe countries;
- 5.7 percent in the Middle East;
- 5.1 percent in Asia; and
- 1.5 percent in South America.
Steel production was flat (0.0 percent) in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and North America. It decreased by -0.6 percent in the European Union.
Capacity utilization among the 67 countries that report to worldsteel was 70.3 percent in February, which was 4 percentage points higher than a year ago and 1.1 of a percentage point more than in January.
Year-to-date, global steel production was up 5.8 percent through February,
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