Middle East’s crude steel production declined by 3.4pct YoY to 23.8 mln tons in the first five months of 2025, according to the World Steel Association. Despite the overall drop, the region showed signs of recovery in May, with output rising 5.3pct YoY to 5.4 mln tons. The Middle East region includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen.
In Africa, crude steel production increased by 4.3pct YoY to 9.7 mln tons between January and May 2025. Output in May alone rose by 5.5pct to 1.9 mln tons. The data covers Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa.
Turkey, the world’s seventh-largest steel producer, recorded a 1.4pct YoY drop in production, totaling 15.4 mln tons for January-May 2025. In May, output declined further by 2.8pct to 3.1 mln tons.
Iran, ranked ninth globally, produced 14 mln tons during the five-month period, down 5.3pct YoY. However, May figures showed a 4.5pct YoY increase, with output reaching 3.4 mln tons.
On the global front, crude steel production fell by 1.3pct YoY to 784 mln tons from January to May 2025. May output alone declined by 3.8pct to 158.8 mln tons.
China, the world’s top steel producer, saw a 1.7pct YoY decline in output to 431.6 mln tons during the first five months. Production in May dropped sharply by nearly 7pct YoY to 86.6 mln tons.
India continued its upward trend, producing 67.2 mln tons from January to May, an 8.2pct increase YoY. May output surged 9.7pct to 13.5 mln tons. Japan, meanwhile, experienced a 5.2pct YoY decline in production to 33.8 mln tons during the period. Output in May fell 4.7pct to 6.8 mln tons.