Middle East steel production remains subdued in September

Middle East crude steel production declined by 20.4pct YoY to 3.6 mln tons in September 2026, according to World Steel Association data. During January-September, regional output fell by 9.2pct YoY to 36.9 mln tons.

The Middle East region includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.

Regional steel production continued to be affected by geopolitical tensions and logistical constraints, with disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea routes adding uncertainty and increasing transportation costs. The decline in September was significantly steeper than the 4.6pct YoY drop recorded in August.

Iran, the region's largest steel producer, remained affected by production and export disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict and logistical challenges, weighing on overall regional output.

In Africa, crude steel production increased by 10.6pct YoY to 2.2 mln tons in September, while January-September output rose by 9.7pct to 19.0 mln tons.

Turkey, the world’s seventh-largest steel producer, recorded crude steel output of 3.2 mln tons in September, up 0.8pct YoY. During January-September, Turkish production increased by 6.1pct to 29.8 mln tons.

Globally, crude steel production by the 70 countries reporting to the World Steel Association declined by 0.2pct YoY to 142.4 mln tons in September. During January-September, global output fell by 0.7pct to 1.37 bln tons.

China's crude steel production edged up by 0.1pct YoY to 73.6 mln tons in September, while January-September output fell by 2.9pct to 724.8 mln tons.

India produced 13.9 mln tons of crude steel in September, up 1.9pct YoY. January-September production increased by 5.6pct to 130 mln tons.

In the United States, crude steel production rose by 4.3pct YoY to an estimated 7.2 mln tons in September, while January-September output increased by 5.8pct to 64.9 mln tons.