WSA: Global crude steel output drops by 2.3% YoY in Q1

Crude steel production among the 69 countries worldwide monitored by the World Steel Association (WSA) amounted to 459.2 million tonnes over the first three months of 2026, retreating by 2.3% from the level in the first quarter last year, according to the association's latest release published on April 23.

The on-year drop in Q1 output widened by 0.8 percentage point from a 1.5% decrease over January-February, which can be attributed to a faster contraction in China's output last month as well as the production slump in the Middle East due to the region's escalating tensions since late February. As