Update of the 16th edition of “World Steel Recycling in Figures”

Rolf Willeke, BIR Ferrous Statistics Advisor, highlights below the key findings in the January-June 2025 update of the 16^th edition of“World Steel Recycling in Figures”

Global crude steel production totalled 934.3 million tonnes in the first half of this year for a decrease of 2.2% over the corresponding period in 2024, according to worldsteel. From the regional perspective, the only year-on-year increase in crude steel production was recorded by Africa.

The biggest producer in the first six months of this year was Asia/Oceania on 693.9 million tonnes (down 1.9% from January-June 2024). Also registering lower totals were: the EU-27 (-3.3% to 65.4 million tonnes); Other Europe (-7.1% to 20.8 million tonnes); the Middle East (-5.4% to 27.5 million tonnes); North America (-0.6% to 53.2 million tonnes); the CIS (-5.4% to 41.6 million tonnes); and South America (-0.4% to 20.5 million tonnes).

BIR’s use of the term “recycled steel”

As explained previously, the BIR Ferrous Division is now using the term “recycled steel” rather than “steel scrap” in order to resonate more effectively with the public when highlighting the importance of our material for global steelmaking.

From our own calculations and those of worldsteel, it can be concluded that some 630 million tonnes of recycled steel are used each year in global steel production, thereby preventing almost 950 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions while also saving energy and conserving natural resources. The term “recycled steel” also reinforces the importance of our material for “green” steelmaking.

World DRI production increases by 4.3%

For “green” steelmaking, it is also important to follow global trends affecting the use of direct reduced iron (DRI). For the first time using figures from worldsteel, we are able to show the world’s biggest producers of DRI. Global DRI production climbed 4.3% year on year in the first half of 2025 to 64.240 million tonnes, and the two largest producers were India with an increase of 8.7% to 29.201 million tonnes and Iran with a decrease of 2.2% to 16.300 million tonnes.

 China’s recycled steel usage down by 11.4%

Recycled steel usage headed lower in China, the EU-27, the USA, Japan and South Korea in the first half of 2025 whereas increases were registered in India and Turkey. China’s crude steel production fell by 3% in the first six months of this year to 514.8 million tonnes but its recycled steel usage tumbled a significantly steeper 11.4% to 109.01 million tonnes. However, the nation retained its position as the world’s largest consumer of recycled steel.

The following also recorded larger declines in recycled steel usage when compared to crude steel production during the first half of this year: the EU-27 (-4.2% to 39.403 million tonnes for recycled steel consumption versus -3.3% to 65.4 million tonnes for steel production); the USA (-9.1% to 26.71 million tonnes for recycled steel consumption versus an unchanged steel production of 39.9 million tonnes); Japan (-6.7% to 14.894 million tonnes of recycled steel usage as against a 5% drop in steel production to 40.6 million tonnes); and South Korea (an 11.3% slump in recycled steel usage to 10.242 million tonnes compared to a dip of 2.8% in steel production to 30.6 million tonnes).

On the positive side, India reported a 15.3% leap in its recycled steel usage in this year’s January-June period to 19.65 million tonnes as against an increase of 9.2% in its crude steel production to 80.9 million tonnes. Meanwhile, Turkey was increasing its recycled steel usage by 2.2% to 16.051 million tonnes despite a 1.7% dip in its steel production to 18.3 million tonnes.

In total during the first half of 2025, recycled steel usage in key countries and regions was 6.9% lower year on year at 235.96 million tonnes; this usage figure represents data for 76% of global steelmaking.

The respective shares of recycled steel usage in crude steel production were 21.2% for China, 24.5% for India, 33.4% for South Korea, 36.7% for Japan, 60.2% for the EU-27 and 66.4% for the USA. Worthy of particular note was recycled steel’s 87.7% share of crude steel production in Turkey. 

Turkey’s overseas recycled steel purchases reduced by 5.8%

The first half of this year brought a 5.8% reduction in Turkey’s overseas recycled steel purchases to 9.404 million tonnes. However, the country remained the world`s foremost recycled steel importer, with its main suppliers being the USA (-18.8% year on year to 1.723 million tonnes) and the Netherlands (+14.6% to 1.503 million tonnes).

India remained the world’s second-largest recycled steel importer in the first six months of 2025 (+18% to 4.580 million tonnes), with its list of suppliers headed by the USA (+30% to 0.92 million tonnes) and the UK (+7% to 0.47 million tonnes).

Higher recycled steel imports were also recorded in the first half of this year by Pakistan (+181.6% to 3.107 million tonnes), the EU-27 (+4.3% to 2.478 million tonnes), the USA (+6.7% to 2.245 million tonnes) and Thailand (+285.1% to 2.226 million tonnes). By contrast, year-on-year import declines were posted in the first half of 2025 by Vietnam (-62.7% to 0.983 million tonnes), Taiwan (-40.3% to 0.950 million tonnes) and South Korea (-19.9% to 0.899 million tonnes).

 EU-27 still the world’s top recycled steel exporter

The EU-27 maintained its position as the world’s leading recycled steel exporter in the first half of this year despite a decrease of 2.8% to 8.304 million tonnes. The main buyers were Turkey (+10.7% to 5.665 million tonnes) and Egypt (-47.1% to 0.564 million tonnes).    

Despite a decline in its recycled steel shipments in January-June this year (-16.6% to 6.000 million tonnes), the USA remained the world’s second-largest recycled steel exporter; its main customers were Turkey (-12.9% to 1.854 million tonnes) and Bangladesh (-16.9% to 0.757 million tonnes).

Overseas shipments of recycled steel increased in the first half of this year out of Japan (+19.5% to 3.819 million tonnes), Mexico (+27.4% to 0.702 million tonnes) and Singapore (+32.6% to 0.562 million tonnes). Conversely, the January-June period brought recycled steel export declines for the UK (-25.4% to 3.124 million tonnes), Canada (-13.2% to 1.908 million tonnes), Australia (-46.8% to 1.111 million tonnes) and Hong Kong (-8.8% to 0.535 million tonnes).

The world’s leading exporters are major net recycled steel exporters, with surpluses in the first half of this year of 5.8 million tonnes for the EU-27 and of 3.8 million tonnes for the USA.

It can also be noted that US and EU export prices followed a largely parallel course in the first six months of this year.

According to: bir.org – BIR Bangkok 2025