World crude steel production reached 162.9 million tonnes in January 2021, up 4.8 percent from a year earlier, the World Steel Association reported on 25 February. The increase came despite the pandemic still disrupting economies in Europe and North America, and it extended the recovery that began in the second half of 2020. China, the largest producer, accounted for well over half of global output. The association noted that, because the China Iron and Steel Association publishes a combined January-February total, the separate monthly figures for China were estimates. Output in the rest of the world was also recovering as carmakers and construction restarted, although mills in several countries were still running below capacity. The January result set a firm base for the year, with demand expected to keep rising as governments rolled out stimulus and vaccination campaigns. The figures covered the 64 countries reporting to the association, which account for about 98 percent of world crude steel production.
Source: World Steel Association — https://worldsteel.org/wp-content/uploads/January-2021-crude-steel-production-data-table.pdf
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