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World crude steel production totaled 131.8 million metric tons in February, a 3.5 percent increase over the year-ago month, reports Brussels-based World Steel Association. Total production through February is up 4 percent to 276.7 million tons, compared with 265.9 million tons through the first two months of 2017.

The crude steel capacity utilization rate of the 64 countries reporting to WSA was 73.3 percent for the month, up 1.8 percentage points from February 2017. The rate was up 0.5 percentage points from January.

February production in the U.S. increased 0.4 percent to 6.4 million tons. Year-to-date production was down 0.5 percent to 13.3 million tons. 

Canadian production in February was down 10.4 percent to 1.0 million tons, while production for the year to date decreased 5.2 percent to 2.2 million tons. Mexico’s production decreased 7.1 percent in February to 1.5 million tons, while full-year production of 3.2 million tons was down 2.9 percent from last year.

China’s crude steel production in February increased 5.9 percent to 64.9 million tons, India’s production increased 3.4 percent to 8.4 million tons and production in Japan decreased 0.5 percent to 8.3 million tons.  

In the European Union, Germany produced 3.3 million tons of crude steel, a decrease of 3.2 percent from February 2017. Italy’s production of 2.1 million tons was up 4.5 percent from last year, and production in France increased 1 percent to 1.3 million tons.