FLASH: Germany's 2023 crude steel output records 14-year low

Germany's total crude steel output in 2023 dropped by 3.9% on year to hit a record low of 35.4 million tonnes since 2009, mainly due to weak demand and soaring power costs, according to a post the country's steel industry association WV Stahl released on its official website on January 23. In December alone, the country produced 2.631 million tonnes of crude steel, down by 2.3% compared with the prior year level.

The output drop last year was primarily attributed to drastically declined steel production from the country's electric-arc-furnace (EAF) plants that registered 9.8 million tonnes, even below the low record of 11.3 million tonnes logged during the financial crisis in 2009, according to the association's data. In the post, Kerstin Maria Rippel, WV Stahl's general manager, urgently appealed for action