Iran moves up to 9th in global ranking of steel producers

A recent report cited latest worldsteel figures showing that Iran had produced 3.4 million metric tons (mt) of steel in May, up 4.5% from the same month last year.

The output was just 0.4 million mt less than the production reported by Germany, which put the country above Iran in the ranking in May, the report said.

Iran’s steel production in the five months to May reached a total of 14 million mt, down 5.3% from the same period in 2024, worldsteel figures showed.

Global output fell by 3.8% year on year in May to 158.8 million mt, while January-May production also dropped 1.3% to 784 million mt, the data showed.

Biggest producer China churned out over 431 million mt of steel in the five months to May, down 1.7%  from the same period last year, the report said.

It said that India, Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Turkey had come second to sixth in the global ranking of steel producers in May.

Iran has maintained its position as a major steel producer this year despite facing acute energy supply and price issues.

Steel mills in the country reported natural gas problems in January and February when Iran’s Oil Ministry was forced to redirect supplies to the household sector to respond to rising demand for heating.

Iran’s steel production also declined for a short period in late April and early May when a sudden heat wave caused restrictions on electricity supplies delivered to major industries./isna