Crude steel production in the Middle East declined by 33.5pct YoY to 3.5 mln tons in March, as escalating regional tensions weighed on output. As a result, regional production in the first quarter of 2026 fell 9.3pct YoY to 12 mln tons, according to data from the World Steel Association. The region includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.
Iran, the region’s largest steel producer, dropped out of the global top 10 following disruptions linked to the conflict. Several major Iranian steel plants were affected by air strikes in late March, leading to production stoppages. In addition, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz from late February disrupted trade flows, while operational disruptions at key GCC ports further strained supply chains. Rising freight rates also increased raw material import costs for regional producers.
In Africa, crude steel production increased by 7.4pct YoY to 6.3 mln tons in Q1 2026, with March output rising 11.6pct to 2.2 mln tons. Production was reported from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia.
Turkey, the world’s seventh-largest steel producer, recorded output of 9.7 mln tons in Q1, up 5.3pct YoY, while March production increased 6.4pct to 3.3 mln tons.
Globally, crude steel production declined by 2.3pct YoY to 459.2 mln tons in the first quarter. China’s output fell 4.6pct to 247.6 mln tons, with March production down 6.3pct to 87 mln tons.
India produced 44.7 mln tons in Q1, up 10.8pct YoY, while March output rose 9.4pct to 15.3 mln tons. In the United States, crude steel production increased 5.7pct to 21 mln tons in Q1, with March output up 5.2pct to 7.2 mln tons.