World crude steel production reached 169.5 million tonnes in April 2021, up 23.4 percent from a year earlier, the World Steel Association reported in May. The surge reflected the comparison with April 2020, the worst month of the pandemic for mills outside China, but output was also strong in its own right. China set a record, producing 97.85 million tonnes of crude steel in April, up 13.4 percent year on year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, as wide profit margins and firm global demand pushed mills to run flat out. Average daily output in China rose to 3.26 million tonnes, up from 3.03 million in March. Production in the first four months of 2021 reached 374.56 million tonnes in China, up 15.8 percent. The April figures showed the industry running hot just as Beijing was preparing new curbs: the export tax rebate cancellation took effect on 1 May, and officials were already warning that full-year output must not exceed 2020 levels.
Source: Argus Media — https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2215588-china-s-crude-steel-output-hits-record-high-in-april
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