STEEL PRODUCTION UP 35.7 PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR

The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) (Brussels, Belgium) reports that the worldwide production of crude steel increased 35.7 percent in April this year, compared with the same month in 2009. The total global production in April 2010 was 122 million tons.

Worldsteel, which was formed in 1967 as the International Iron and Steel Institute, collects statistical information from 66 member countries. The organization changed its name to Worldsteel in October 2008 and has a membership of about 180 companies, including 19 of the world's 20 largest steel producers. Worldsteel members produce about 85 percent of the world's steel.

The information collected by Worldsteel shows that the production of crude steel increased in April 2010, and the overall capacity utilization increased to 83.4 percent–an increase of 18.9 percent compared with the corresponding figure from April 2009.

Global steel production rose each month from April through October 2009, before falling slightly in November and December 2009. January 2010 showed an increase from the December 2009 figures, before a slight fall in February was corrected in March.

China continues to dominate world steel production. The country produced its highest ever amount of steel in a single month, with a total of 55.4 million tons for April 2010, a rise of 27 percent compared with April 2009.

Other Asian countries showed increases in production. South Korean production rose 22.9 percent from last year to 4.8 million tons for the month, while Japan also reported a healthy increase in production, up 56.7 percent to 9 million tons for April 2010. The production figure for India was estimated to be 5.35 million tons in April 2010, which would give the country an increase of just 1.8 percent.

The Americas reported strong growth figures for the month. The United States' crude steel production for April 2010 was 6.8 million tons, a year-over-year increase of 79.4 percent, while in South America, Brazil's production rose 56.6 percent, to 2.7 million tons.

Within the European Union, Germany reported a massive increase in steel production for the month, up 107.2 percent year over year to 3.9 million tons. Other European countries that performed well for the month include Italy, with an increase of 57.9 percent from last year, and Spain, which produced 1.6 million tons in April 2010, an increase of 36 percent year over year.

Turkey produced slightly more than 2.4 million tons in April, an increase of 21.5 percent from April 2009. Serbia recorded a 465.7 percent year-over-year increase, although total production in Serbia was only 61,000 tons.

The Commonwealth of Independent States–the Central Asian states from the former Soviet Union–also performed well. Russia produced 5.6 million tons in April 2010, an increase of 28.9 percent, and Ukraine produced 2.97 million tons, representing a 39 percent year-over-year increase.

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