Global steel production declined by 3.8% year-on-year in May 2025, totaling 158.8 million tons, according to the latest figures released by the World Steel Association.

The drop reflects ongoing volatility in global industrial demand and regional disruptions, though production rose slightly by 2% compared to April.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Ukraine reported a sharper year-on-year decline of 8.1%, with total production in the region reaching 7 million tons. On a month-to-month basis, output in the CIS+Ukraine region grew modestly by 1.4%. Ukraine, in particular, recorded a 13.8% annual drop in steel production, amounting to 635,800 tons—a monthly decrease of 8.1%.

The top ten steel-producing nations in May 2025 were led by China, which produced 86.6 million tons, down 6.9% from May 2024. India followed with 13.5 million tons, up 9.7%, while Japan produced 6.8 million tons, a 4.7% decrease. The United States recorded 7 million tons, a 1.7% increase, and Russia’s output fell 6.9% to 5.8 million tons. South Korea produced 5.1 million tons, down 1.7%, while Iran’s output grew 4.5% to 3.4 million tons. Turkey and Germany saw declines of 2.8% and 6.4%, producing 3.1 million and 3 million tons, respectively. Brazil rounded out the list with 2.7 million tons, up 5%.

For the January-May 2025 period, global steel production totaled 784 million tons, a 1.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2024. In the CIS and Ukraine region, output fell 4.7% to 34.8 million tons. Ukraine’s steel production over the five months reached 3.06 million tons, down 2.5% year-on-year.

The World Steel Association’s data highlights ongoing challenges in the global steel industry, with regional variations driven by economic and geopolitical factors. (ILKHA)