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World crude steel production totaled 148.3 million metric tons in April, a 4.1 percent increase over the year-ago month, reports Brussels-based World Steel Association. Total production through April is up 4 percent to 575.2 million tons, compared with 553.1 million tons through the first four months of 2017.

The crude steel capacity utilization rate of the 64 countries reporting to WSA was 76.9 percent for the month, up 2.4 percentage points from April 2017. The rate was up 2.4 percentage points from March.

April production in the U.S. increased 3.6 percent to 6.9 million tons. Year-to-date production was up 2.8 percent to 27.7 million tons. 

Canadian production in April was up 13.8 percent to 1.2 million tons, while production for the year to date increased 3.6 percent to 4.7 million tons. Mexico’s production increased 13.7 percent in April to 1.8 million tons, while full-year production of 7 million tons was up 5.9 percent from last year.

China’s crude steel production in April increased 4.8 percent to 76.7 million tons, India’s production increased 5.6 percent to 8.7 million tons and production in Japan decreased 0.4 percent to 8.7 million tons.  

In the European Union, Germany produced 3.8 million tons of crude steel, a decrease of 1.7 percent from April 2017. Italy’s production of 2.1 million tons was up 3.7 percent from last year, and production in France increased 10.7 percent to 1.4 million tons.