According to the association’s latest World Steel in Figures report, its annual tally of vital industry statistics, global output rose to nearly 1.88 billion metric tons, up from 1.87 billion metric tons in the prior year. China in 2020 accounted for 56.7% of global production. 

“Despite the influence of the pandemic, through its different regional impacts, the global steel industry was fortunate to end 2020 with only a minor contraction in steel demand. Steel use in China expanded while it contracted in the rest of the world. We look forward to normalization in demand during 2021, owing to steady progress on vaccines and changed behavior in the global society,” said worldsteel director general Edwin Basson. 

Although demand for steel may normalize this year, the supply of it has entered a new era.  

In 2020, China officially crossed the 1-billion-metric-ton threshold, producing 1.06 billion metric tons of steel, according to worldsteel data. In 2019, it made 995.4 million metric tons. In addition, a Chinese producer has taken the title of world’s largest producer. 

According to worldsteel, that title now belongs to China Baowu Group, which produced 115.3 million metric tons. ArcelorMittal, which had been the largest producer, slipped to the No. 2 position with 78.5 million metric tons.  

That, however, is more than all of U.S. production. During the year, American producers turned out 72.7 million metric tons of crude steel, down from 87.8 million metric tons in the prior year.

America retained the No. 4 position on the list of largest steel-producing countries, and India remained the second-largest producer on the list, but grew its lead over Japan. 

During the year, Indian producers made 100.3 million metric tons compared to Japan’s 83.2 million metric tons.