EU steel production declined in 2015

Steel production in the EU-28 countries decreased by 1.8 percent compared to the previous year. In 2015, the annual production was 166.181 million tons, and in 2014 - 169.301 million tons.

The latest figures released by the World Steel Association show that steel production in the EU-28 was 8.3 percent lower during December 2015 at an annual level. The output of the region amounted to 11.463 million tons per month.

Germany recorded the highest yield in December. The country produced 2.987 million tonnes during the month, down 8.3 percent from 3.257 million tonnes in December 2014. Greece recorded the biggest jump in production to 90,000 tonnes when compared to 66,000 tonnes in the same month a year earlier. The lowest yield for the month was reported by Croatia.

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and Spain in December recorded an increase in crude steel production on an annualized basis. Slovakia recorded the largest decline in production in December 2015, a 39 percent drop from the previous year.

The total volume of steel production, in thousand tons, for the entire 2015 compared to 2014, in percent: Austria - 7691 (-2.3); Belgium - 7219 (-1.5); Bulgaria - 623 (+1.7); Croatia - 127 (-24.4); Czech Republic - 5262 (-1.8); Finland - 3988 (+4.8); France - 14984 (-7.2); Germany - 42678 (-0.6); Greece - 1067 (+4.4); Italy - 22022 (-7.1); Luxembourg - 2,129 (-2.9); Netherlands - 6995 (+0.4); Poland - 9106 (+6.4); Slovakia - 4562 (-3.0); Spain - 14,875 (+4.4); Sweden - 4376 (-3.6); Great Britain - 10,860 (-10.4).