While global crude steel production dipped slightly to 1,888.2 million tonnes in 2022, the real story is found in the dramatic regional shifts and the urgent push for a greener future.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global crude steel production reached 1,888.2 million tonnes, marking a 1.3% decrease from 2021
- China produced 1,013.0 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, accounting for 53.6% of global output
- India was the second-largest producer with 125.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, up 5.0% from 2021
- Asia and Oceania accounted for 72% of global crude steel production in 2022
- EU-27 produced 134.7 million tonnes of crude steel in 2021
- India's crude steel production capacity reached 154 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2023
- Global apparent steel use in 2022 was 1,751 million tonnes excluding China
- China's apparent steel use was 1,019 million tonnes in 2022, 54% of world total
- World per capita steel use was 212 kg in 2022
- Global steel trade volume was 532 million tonnes in 2022, up 2.7%
- Semi-finished steel products accounted for 45% of global steel trade in 2022
- Finished steel products trade was 55% of total in 2022
- Steel industry CO2 emissions totaled 2.6 Gt in 2022, 7% of global total
- BF-BOF route emits 1.8-2.0 tonnes CO2 per tonne of steel
- EAF route average emissions are 0.4 tonnes CO2 per tonne steel using scrap
Global steel production dipped slightly while China remained the dominant producer.
Consumption Patterns
- Global apparent steel use in 2022 was 1,751 million tonnes excluding China
- China's apparent steel use was 1,019 million tonnes in 2022, 54% of world total
- World per capita steel use was 212 kg in 2022
- India's per capita finished steel consumption was 89.7 kg in FY2022-23
- US apparent steel consumption was 113 million tonnes in 2022
- Japan's steel consumption fell 4.5% to 63.2 million tonnes in 2022
- EU apparent steel use decreased 6.2% in 2022 to 142 million tonnes
- Global steel demand forecast for 2023 was 1,846 million tonnes, up 1.6%
- Steel demand in construction sector was 52% of total in 2022
- Automotive sector consumed 12% of global steel in 2022
- Machinery sector steel use was 11% globally in 2022
- Domestic appliances accounted for 5% of steel consumption worldwide in 2022
- Electrical equipment sector used 3% of global steel in 2022
- Metal products sector consumption was 13% in 2022
- Other sectors (incl. energy, shipbuilding) used 4% of steel in 2022
- China's steel demand growth slowed to 2.3% in 2023 forecast
- India's steel consumption grew 12.3% to 125.5 million tonnes in FY2022-23
- ASEAN steel demand expected to rise 4.3% in 2023
- Middle East steel use forecast up 3.8% in 2023 to 55 million tonnes
- Africa's steel consumption projected at 41 million tonnes in 2023, up 3.4%
- EU steel demand forecast -4.2% in 2023 to 135 million tonnes
- North America steel use expected +0.5% in 2023 to 120 million tonnes
- Global steel demand growth for 2024 forecast at 1.2%
- Construction sector to drive 60% of steel demand growth in India by 2030
- Automotive steel use in India was 1.8 million tonnes in FY2022-23
Consumption Patterns Interpretation
While China single-handedly props up the global steel industry like a one-iron pillar, the rest of the world shows a patchwork of growth, with India forging ahead and Europe softening, proving that development is literally built on 52% construction steel and a dream.
Global Production
- In 2022, global crude steel production reached 1,888.2 million tonnes, marking a 1.3% decrease from 2021
- China produced 1,013.0 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, accounting for 53.6% of global output
- India was the second-largest producer with 125.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, up 5.0% from 2021
- Japan's crude steel production in 2022 was 89.2 million tonnes, a 5.5% decline year-over-year
- The United States produced 80.5 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, down 4.2% from the previous year
- Global pig iron production in 2022 totaled 1,248.6 million tonnes, a 2.6% decrease from 2021
- Direct reduced iron (DRI) production worldwide reached 128.5 million tonnes in 2022, up 6.9%
- Global steel scrap usage in 2022 was 521.0 million tonnes, representing 27.6% of crude steel production input
- In 2023, world crude steel production for the first 9 months was 1,416.4 million tonnes, up 0.2% from 2022
- Capacity utilization in the global steel industry averaged 76.5% in 2022
- Apparent steel use globally in 2022 was 1,885 million tonnes, with a per capita consumption of 227 kg
- Steel production via blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route was 72% of total in 2022
- Electric arc furnace (EAF) route accounted for 28% of global crude steel production in 2022
- Global steel production in 2021 peaked at 1,913.5 million tonnes
- In 2020, amid COVID-19, global crude steel production fell to 1,876.3 million tonnes, down 0.2%
- China's monthly crude steel production averaged 84.4 million tonnes in 2022
- World steel production growth forecast for 2023 was -0.1%
- Global steel mill product output in 2022 included 1,072 million tonnes of heavy products
- Light mill products output was 816.2 million tonnes globally in 2022
- Steel pipe production worldwide reached 130.5 million tonnes in 2022
- Flat products accounted for 50.8% of global steel mill shipments in 2022
- Long products represented 49.2% of global steel mill shipments in 2022
- Global steel production in CIS countries was 70.3 million tonnes in 2022, down 16.8%
- EU crude steel production totaled 129.2 million tonnes in 2022, a 9.4% drop
- North America's steel output was 112.6 million tonnes in 2022, down 3.9%
- Middle East steel production reached 40.6 million tonnes in 2022, up 11.2%
- Africa's crude steel production was 33.4 million tonnes in 2022, up 6.7%
- Global steel production forecast for 2024 is 1,887 million tonnes
- In Q1 2023, world crude steel production was 451.1 million tonnes, down 0.1%
- China's share of global steel production was 54% in 2021
Global Production Interpretation
The story here is of a slightly softened iron titan still utterly dominating the global stage, as China single-handedly churns out more steel than the rest of the world combined while newer industrial muscles like India and the Middle East begin to flex.
Regional Production
- Asia and Oceania accounted for 72% of global crude steel production in 2022
- EU-27 produced 134.7 million tonnes of crude steel in 2021
- India's crude steel production capacity reached 154 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2023
- US steel production in 2022 was 86.0 million net tons, down from 92.7 million in 2021
- Brazil's crude steel output was 34.4 million tonnes in 2022, down 7.4%
- South Korea produced 65.9 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, down 3.4%
- Russia's steel production was 71.5 million tonnes in 2022, down 8.8%
- Turkey's output reached 35.8 million tonnes in 2022, down 10.4%
- Iran's crude steel production was 30.5 million tonnes in 2022, up 7.4%
- Vietnam produced 20.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2022, up 13.9%
- Germany's steel production in 2022 was 35.8 million tonnes, down 6.4%
- Italy produced 21.8 million tonnes in 2022, down 11.8%
- France's output was 11.9 million tonnes in 2022, down 7.2%
- Ukraine produced 6.2 million tonnes in 2022, down 70.3% due to war
- South Africa's steel production was 5.0 million tonnes in 2022, down 11.5%
- Mexico produced 18.5 million tonnes in 2022, up 5.6%
- Canada's output was 12.0 million tonnes in 2022, down 3.8%
- Taiwan produced 21.3 million tonnes in 2022, down 4.5%
- Indonesia's steel production reached 17.2 million tonnes in 2022, up 9.9%
- Australia's output was 4.7 million tonnes in 2022, down 7.8%
- Egypt produced 8.0 million tonnes in 2022, up 10.1%
- Saudi Arabia's steel production was 9.0 million tonnes in 2022, up 11.7%
- United Arab Emirates output was 5.8 million tonnes in 2022, up 4.5%
- Kazakhstan produced 4.3 million tonnes in 2022, down 5.9%
- India's steel production in Eastern region was 40% of national total in FY2022-23
- Northeastern India's steel capacity utilization was 85% in 2022
Regional Production Interpretation
While the globe's steel backbone now clearly resides in a dominant and growing Asia, the rest of the world's production chart for 2022 looks like a seesaw with one side firmly weighed down, as nearly every major Western producer saw their output shrink while conflict and economic pressures turned the heat down on furnaces from Europe to the Americas.
Sustainability and Environment
- Steel industry CO2 emissions totaled 2.6 Gt in 2022, 7% of global total
- BF-BOF route emits 1.8-2.0 tonnes CO2 per tonne of steel
- EAF route average emissions are 0.4 tonnes CO2 per tonne steel using scrap
- Steel industry targets net-zero emissions by 2050 via 10 actions
- Global steel recycling rate was 85.9% in 2022 for end-of-life products
- 521 million tonnes of scrap used in steel production in 2022, saving 760 Mt CO2
- Water usage in steel industry averages 25 m3 per tonne of steel globally
- EU steel sector recycled 80% of water used in 2022
- Hydrogen-based DRI could reduce emissions by 95% vs. BF-BOF
- 14 commercial-scale CCUS projects in steel industry by 2023
- India's steel industry energy intensity improved 4.5% from 2007-2021
- Global steel GHG intensity targeted to fall 30% by 2030 from 2018 baseline
- Renewable energy share in steel production rose to 18% in 2022
- EU ETS covers 100% of steel emissions, costing €3.5 billion in 2022
- Blast furnace relining reduces emissions by 10-15% per cycle
- Global steel dust and sludge recycling rate is 70%
- China's steel industry SOx emissions cut 85% since 2006
- NOx emissions reduced 75% in China steel sector since 2006
- PM emissions down 90% in China's steel industry since 2006
- Steel industry invested $10 billion in green tech in 2022
Sustainability and Environment Interpretation
The steel industry, while still a colossal 2.6-gigatonne climate dragon, is soberly trying to shrink its fiery footprint, betting billions on recycling, hydrogen, and smarter furnaces so it can eventually slay its own emissions, one recycled scrap and zero-carbon project at a time.
Trade Statistics
- Global steel trade volume was 532 million tonnes in 2022, up 2.7%
- Semi-finished steel products accounted for 45% of global steel trade in 2022
- Finished steel products trade was 55% of total in 2022
- China was the largest exporter with 91.1 million tonnes of steel in 2022
- Japan exported 64.8 million tonnes of steel products in 2022
- South Korea's steel exports reached 40.2 million tonnes in 2022
- EU steel imports totaled 120 million tonnes in 2022
- US steel imports were 27.4 million net tons in 2022
- India's steel exports grew 28.72% to 13.4 million tonnes in FY2022-23
- India imported 7.4 million tonnes of steel in FY2022-23, up 36%
- Global steel trade value reached $250 billion in 2022
- Top importer US took 15% of global semi-finished imports in 2022
- Vietnam imported 13.5 million tonnes of steel in 2022
- Turkey exported 17.5 million tonnes but imported 21.0 million tonnes in 2022
- EU imposed safeguard measures on 25.7 million tonnes of steel imports annually
- US Section 232 tariffs affected 3.5 million tonnes of steel imports in 2022
- China's steel exports surged 40% in first half 2023 to 43.3 million tonnes annualized
- Global billet trade volumes rose 12% y-o-y in Q1 2023
- HRC export prices from Asia averaged $650/mt CFR in late 2022
- India's trade deficit in steel widened to $4.2 billion in FY2022-23
- ASEAN steel imports grew 10% to 60 million tonnes in 2022
- Global steel scrap trade was 118 million tonnes in 2022
- US imported 29 million tonnes of steel scrap in 2022
- Turkey imported 18.5 million tonnes of scrap in 2022
Trade Statistics Interpretation
Even as protectionist tariffs and safeguards attempt to fortify borders, the relentless river of global steel trade—from China's mighty export wave to the EU's thirsty imports—proves that while nations may build walls, the market will always find a way to ship the girders right over them.
Sources & References
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- Reference 5USGSusgs.govVisit source
- Reference 6IBEFibef.orgVisit source
- Reference 7AISTaist.orgVisit source
- Reference 8OECoec.worldVisit source
- Reference 9TRADEtrade.govVisit source
- Reference 10STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 11POLICYpolicy.trade.ec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 12COMMERCEcommerce.govVisit source
- Reference 13REUTERSreuters.comVisit source
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- Reference 15BIRbir.orgVisit source
- Reference 16EUROFEReurofer.euVisit source
- Reference 17IEAiea.orgVisit source