Steel Supply Companies

Steel producers around the world are producing and shipping steel and steel products for domestic use and for export, over one billion metric tons of steel. These steel products come in a wide range of finished products from steel beams, to wholly finished steel products like tools. At present there are 3,500 different grades of steel being produced.

Evolution of Steel

As steel has been used more in construction and other commercial applications, producers of steel have developed many new types of steel. Manufacturers have developed some 75% of all modern steel products in the past 20 or so years. Much of this drive is to produce and supply stronger, yet lighter grades of steel.

More than sixty countries currently have at least one producer of steel. Steel is manufactured on every continent except for Antarctica. The largest steel producing countries currently are China, with 349 million metric tons produced, Japan with 112 million metric tons of steel produced, and the United States with 95 million metric tons of steel produced each year.

Largest Steel Consumers

Not surprisingly, the countries producing the most steel, are also the countries consuming the most finished steel products being supplied. China in 2005 consumed a total 315 million metric tons of steel (mmt), leaving itself as an overall exporter of steel. The United States, who currently consumes the second largest amount of finished steel, uses more steel than it produces. The US imports some 33 mmt of steel each year.

The companies producing the most steel supply are Mittal Steel who currently supplies 63 million metric tons of crude steel. Arcelor who supplies world markets with 47 million metric tons of crude steel each year follows closely behind.

Of course you don't have to buy your steel by the mmt! Steel suppliers can be found closer to home. Most of these steel suppliers offer finished products meant more for end-consumers.