Global crude steel production decreased by 0.9% year-on-year to 1.86-billion tonnes for 2020, industry association the World Steel Association (worldsteel) reports.
South Africa produced 3.9-million tonnes of crude steel, a significant decrease from the 6.2-million tonnes produced in 2019.
Asia, meanwhile, produced 1.37-billion tonnes of steel, an increase of 1.5% compared with 2019, with China's output up 5.2% year-on-year to 1.05-billion tonnes. China’s share of global crude steel production increased from 53.3% in 2019 to 56.5% in 2020.
India’s crude steel production was 99.6-million tonnes, down 10.6% year-on-year.
Japan produced 83.2-million tonnes, a 16.2% year-on-year decrease, while South Korea's output fell by 6% year-on-year to 67.1-million tonnes.
The European Union produced 138.8-million tonnes of crude steel in 2020, a decrease of 11.8% compared with that of 2019. Germany produced 35.7-million tonnes of steel − a 10% year-on-year decrease.
In the Commonwealth of Independent States, production was up 1.5% year-on-year to 102-million tonnes.
Russia is estimated to have produced 73.4-million tonnes, up 2.6% compared with 2019, while Ukraine produced 20.6-million tonnes, down 1.1% year-on-year.
Crude steel production in North America was 101.1-million tonnes in 2020, down 15.5% year-on-year. The US produced 72.7-million tonnes − a 17.2% year-on-year decrease.
The Middle East produced 45.4-million tonnes of crude steel, an increase of 2.5% year-on-year.
Yearly crude steel production for South America was 38.2-million tonnes, a decrease of 8.4% compared with that of 2019.