
World crude steel production was steady in the first half of 2024 at 954.6 million tonnes, the World Steel Association reported on 23 July. June output rose 0.5 percent year on year to 161.4 million tonnes, although it was down 2.1 percent from May. China produced 91.6 million tonnes in June, up 0.2 percent on the year, taking its first-half total to 530.6 million tonnes, down 1.1 percent. The 71 countries reporting to the association account for about 98 percent of total world crude steel production. Direct reduced iron production in 13 countries rose 6.9 percent in the first half to 61.6 million tonnes, a sign of the shift towards lower-carbon ironmaking. The flat first-half result masked a sharp divide: output outside China was recovering on restocking and export demand, while Chinese mills faced their weakest domestic market in years as the property downturn dragged on.
Source: EUROMETAL (World Steel Association) — https://eurometal.net/global-crude-steel-production-steady-in-h1-worldsteel/
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (freely licensed).
