Crude steel production across the 70 countries and regions covered by the World Steel Association totaled 142.4 million tonnes in September 2026, down 0.2% from a year earlier, according to figures released on October 23, 2026. The slight overall decline contrasted with stronger growth in Africa and Vietnam, highlighting differences in production performance.

Africa produced 2.2 million tonnes, an increase of 10.6% year on year. Vietnam’s output reached 2.6 million tonnes, up 29.1%, while the European Union’s 27 member countries produced 10.1 million tonnes.

The figures point to broadly stable aggregate production compared with the same month a year earlier, alongside substantial growth in some locations. Growth rates also need to be read alongside production volumes: a sharp percentage increase in an individual market does not necessarily translate into a large change in the global total. The EU figure indicates its production volume for the month but, on its own, does not establish whether output increased or decreased.

For steel buyers and suppliers, this divergence makes regional production trends relevant when assessing potential supply conditions. If growth in Africa and Vietnam continues, it could support greater steel availability in those markets. However, crude steel output alone does not establish the availability of specific finished products or indicate how prices and delivery times will move.

Subsequent World Steel Association releases will help show whether September’s regional differences persist. A single month’s marginal global decline provides limited support for a broader contraction narrative; the more useful question is whether future production figures show sustained changes in the overall total and in the locations recording growth.