World crude steel production fell 5.1 percent year on year to 162.7 million tonnes in April 2022, the World Steel Association reported on 24 May. It was the ninth consecutive monthly year-on-year decline, a run that had begun in the second half of 2021. China produced 92.8 million tonnes, down 5.2 percent, as Covid lockdowns in Shanghai and a renewed lockdown in Tangshan disrupted logistics and demand. The figures covered the 64 countries reporting to the association, about 98 percent of world output. Outside China, output was mixed: Indian mills ran hard to take advantage of high export prices, while European producers struggled with energy costs that had multiplied since the invasion of Ukraine. April's decline was smaller than March's, but the industry was already warning that the second quarter would be difficult, with Chinese demand weak and European energy bills still rising.
Source: World Steel Association — https://worldsteel.org/media/press-releases/2022/
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