Global crude steel production finished 2020 on a strong note, with December output of 160.9 million tonnes, up 5.8% on December 2019, according to worldsteel data published in January 2021. For the full year, the 64 reporting countries produced 1.83 billion tonnes, only 0.9% below 2019 - a far smaller decline than many had feared when the pandemic struck. China was the decisive factor: its December output rose 7.7% to 91.3 million tonnes, and its full-year production reached a record 1,064.8 million tonnes, up 7.0% on 2019, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. Europe also rebounded late in the year, with EU output up 10.2% in December, although its full-year production fell 11.8%. The strong finish reflected a powerful second-half recovery in construction and manufacturing, but it also left the industry facing record iron ore prices and growing questions about how long China's exceptional growth could continue.
Source: World Steel Association — https://worldsteel.org/wp-content/uploads/December-2020-crude-steel-production-data-table.pdf
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