Crude steel production in the Middle East fell by 13.5pct YoY to 7.9 mln tons in the first two months of 2025, according to the World Steel Association. In February alone, output declined 11.5pct YoY to 3.7 mln tons. The Middle East region, as tracked by the association, includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen.
In contrast, Africa’s crude steel production grew by 1.7pct YoY to 3.9 mln tons in January-February 2025. February saw a sharper increase of 7.6pct YoY, reaching 1.9 mln tons. African countries monitored by the association include Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa.
Turkey, the world’s seventh-largest steel producer, recorded a 3.7pct YoY decline in crude steel production, totaling 6.1 mln tons in January-February 2025. In February, output dropped further by 5.6pct YoY to 2.9 mln tons. Meanwhile, Iran, ranked tenth globally, saw a steep 23.1pct YoY drop, producing 4 mln tons in the same period. February production in Iran also fell by nearly 22pct YoY to 1.7 mln tons.
Global crude steel production declined 2.2pct YoY to 302 mln tons in January-February 2025, with Africa being the only region to report growth. China, the world’s largest steel producer, saw a 1.5pct YoY drop to 166.3 mln tons over the two months, while February production decreased 3.3pct YoY to 78.9 mln tons. In contrast, India’s crude steel production rose by 6.8pct YoY to 26.4 mln tons in January-February 2025 and increased 6.3pct YoY to 12.7 mln tons in February. Japan, however, saw a 7.5pct YoY decline, producing 13.2 mln tons in the first two months of 2025, with an 8.5pct YoY drop in February to 6.4 mln tons.