BRUSSELS (Commodity Online): World crude steel production for the 66 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) was 122 million metric tons (mmt) in April. This is 35.7% higher than April 2009.China's crude steel production for April 2010 was 55.4 mmt, an increase of 27% compared to April 2009. It is the highest amount of crude steel China has ever produced in a single month.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan produced 9.0 mmt of crude steel in April 2010, up 56.7% compared to the same month last year. South Korea's crude steel production for April 2010 was 4.8mmt, 22.9% up compared to the same month last year.

In the EU, Germany's crude steel production for April 2010 was 3.9 mmt, an increase of 107.2% on April 2009. Italy produced 2.4 mmt, 57.9% higher than the same month in 2009. Spain produced 1.6 mmt of crude steel in April 2010, an increase of 36% compared to April 2009.

Russia's crude steel in April 2010 was 5.6 mmt, 28.9% higher than the same month 2009. In April 2010, Ukraine produced 3.0 mmt of crude steel in April 2010, an increase of 39% compared to April 2009.Turkey produced 2.4 mmt of crude steel in April 2010, a 21.5% increase over the same month in 2009.

The US produced 6.8 mmt of crude steel in April 2010, an increase of 79.4% compared to April 2009. Brazilian crude steel production was 2.7 mmt, 56.6% higher than April 2009.

The world crude steel capacity utilisation ratio of the 66 countries in April 2010 was 83.4%. Compared to April 2009, the utilisation ratio in April 2010 increased by 18.9 percentage points, worldsteel said in a press statement.

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