World crude steel production for the 65 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 137 million tonnes (Mt) in June 2014, an increase of 3.1% compared to June 2013.
World crude steel production in the first six months of 2014 was 821.3 Mt, an increase of 2.5% compared to the same period of 2013. The EU 28 showed an increase of 3.8% while Asia and North America reported growth of 2.9% and 1.7% respectively in the first half of 2014. South America and C.I.S. produced -1.0% and -2.6% less each.
China’s crude steel production for June 2014 was 69.3 Mt, up by 4.5% compared to June 2013. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan produced 9.1 Mt of crude steel in June 2014, a decrease of -1.7% over June 2013. India’s crude steel production was 6.7 Mt, an increase of 0.8% compared to June 2013. South Korea produced 6.0 Mt of crude steel in June 2014, up by 10.8% on June 2013.
In the EU, Germany produced 3.6 Mt of crude steel in June 2014, an increase of 0.6% compared to June 2013. Italy produced 2.1 Mt of crude steel, down by -3.7% compared to June 2013. France’s crude steel production was 1.4 Mt, an increase of 1.6% on June 2013. Spain produced 1.3 Mt of crude steel, up by 6.0% compared to June 2013.
Turkey’s crude steel production for June 2014 was 3.1 Mt, up by 6.7% on June 2013.
In June 2014, Ukraine produced 2.6 Mt of crude steel, a decrease of -6.0% compared to the same month 2013.
The US produced 7.2 Mt of crude steel in June 2014, an increase of 1.9% compared to June 2013.
Brazil’s crude steel production for June 2014 was 2.7 Mt, down by -4.9% on June 2013.
The crude steel capacity utilisation ratio for the 65 countries in June 2014 was 78.3% which is -0.1 percentage points lower than June 2013. Compared to May 2014, it remained the same.
Less than half the growth of the glory days but still pretty good.
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geo-politics and economics portal.
He is also a former gold trader and economic commentator at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the ABC and Business Spectator. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.
