Global crude steel production fell by 12.4% year-on-year to 1005 million tons in October

The crude steel production in 66 countries reporting production to the worldsteel was 1005 million tons in October, a decrease of 12.4% from the same period of last year and a decrease of 6.9% from September. In the first ten months of 2008, total crude steel production was 1.136 billion tons, which was an increase of 2.9% from the same period of last year. In October 2008, the annual gross domestic steel movement (MAT) growth rate further slowed to 3.0% from 4.7% in the previous month.
China's crude steel production in October was 35.9 million tons, which was a decrease of 17% from the same period of last year and a decrease of 9.4% from the previous month. In the first ten months, China’s total production was 427.3 million tons, which was a 3.9% increase from the same period last year.
In general, Asia produced 56.9 million tons of crude steel in October, down 11.6% from last year's 64.40 million tons. Japan's output was 10.1 million tons, down 2.7% from the same period last year. India and South Korea’s production in October increased by 4.8 million tons and 4.6 million tons respectively.
In the European Union, Germany produced 3.9 million tons of crude steel in October, a decrease of 7.7% from the same period of last year; Italy's crude steel production in October was 2.6 million tons, a decrease of 12.2% from the same period of last year; and France increased by 16.1% from the same period of last year. In the month, it produced 1.6 million tons of crude steel.
The CIS countries produced 7 million tons of crude steel in October, a drop of 32.6% from the same period of last year; Russia produced 4.5 million tons, a decrease of 27.1% from the same period of last year; Ukraine produced 1.9 million tons, a decrease of 48.7% from the same period of last year.
In North America, crude steel production in October fell by 12.9% from the same period of last year to 100.3 million tons, but South America fell only 0.8% to 4.164 million tons.