This is a list of countries by steel production in 1967, 1980, 1990, 2000 and from 2007 to 2018, based on data provided by the World Steel Association. All countries with annual production of crude steel at least 2 million metric tons are listed.

1. China Crude Steel Production Spatial System

China Crude Steel Production Spatial System

ADVERTISEMENTS:Towards the end of the last century, the growth of steel production in countries like China, South Korea, Brazil and India has changed the entire pattern of steel production in the world.Now main producers of iron and steel in the world are China, Japan, USA, Russia, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, Ukraine, India, France, Italy and Great Britain. The other steel-producing countries are South Africa, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, etc. Table 10.1 indicates the production of iron and steel in major countries of the world.Table 10.1Production of iron and steel in major countries of the world:CountriesProduction (in crore tons)Pig ironCrude steelChina131.23128.5Japan80.5105.4. ADVERTISEMENTS:13.620.0Italy10.926.6Great Britain10.916.1It becomes clear from the table that China is the leading producer of iron and steel in the world, which accounts for about 23.9 per cent production of pig iron and 17 per cent of crude steel of the world’s production.Japan is the second largest producer with 14.7 per cent pig iron and 13.9 per cent crude steel production of the world.USA once the highest producer now ranks third in the world followed by Russia.

India’s position is 9th in the iron and steel production and its production of pig iron and crude steel accounts for 3.9 and 3.6 per cent respectively.The spatial distribution pattern of iron and steel industry in major countries of the world is as follows (Figure 10.1). China:China is having the oldest system of fabricators of iron, as is evident from its historical records. But until the adoption of her five-year plan in 1953, China had only insignificant iron and steel manufacturing of modern type.Gradually, China has developed the iron and steel industry and now it is the highest producer of iron and steel in the world.Since 1973, growth of steel production in China was spectacular and within a span of 15 years China was able to increase its production of crude steel to 217 percent. In that period consumption increased 300 per cent. This growth rate clearly reveals the rapid pace of industrialisation that is now going on in China.The iron and steel industry is concentrated in Anshan, Wuhan and Paotow triangle.

The biggest iron and steel factory was established in the Chinese mainland at Anshan in Manchuria by Japanese, but was greatly expanded by the Chinese with Russian help. Other iron and steel production centres in Manchuria are Fushun, Penki, Shenyang, Harphin and Kirin.For Wuhan plants, ore is obtained from Taylh, i.e., 130 km away, and coal from Pingtinghan to the north of Yangtze River. The Wuhan steel plant is also in process of expansion.

Other less extensive new steel plants are being created in Siangtan (Hunan), Tientsin, Tangshan, Nanking, Shanghai, etc.At present, China is having following important areas of iron-steel industry:(i) Southern Manchuria is the largest steel plant of China at Anshan and other plants at Pensihu and Mukden.(ii) Shansi is also an old region of iron and steel production. In this region Taiyuan has been developed as a major steel centre.(iii) The Lower Yangtze Valley: In this region Hankow, Shanghai, Hanyang and Chungking are the main centres of iron and steel industry.(iv) Other centres are located at Paotow, Chinling Chen, Canton, Singtao and Huangsih.The growth of iron and steel industry in China has been spectacular.

Since 1973, China has increased its production of steel by 220 per cent, although her consumption of steel has also increased more than 300 per cent. Japan:In spite of the shortage of raw material (iron and coal), Japan has become one of the leading steel producers of the world.

After China, Japan is the second largest producer of pig iron and crude steel in the world.Yawata, the first steel plant was built in 1901 by government. Yawata is a major centre of heavy industry with about one fifth of Japan’s steel capacity. Kamaishi in Honshu and Muroran in Hokkaido are small tidewater plants.The number of large-scale plants directly connected with regional mineral resources and those plants are only in Kamaishi, Kosaka, Osarizawa, Hassei (Akita), Hosokura (Miyagi) and Fujine (Iwate).Over half of the Japan’s steel capacity is concentrated near the major port cities of Himeji, Kobe-Osaka and Tokyo-Yokohama areas of South Central Honshu.Almost all the iron and steel plants of Japan are situated near tidewater. These steel plants, at or near tidewater, are thus able to draw raw materials from many parts of the world and similarly to ship finished products.In Japan, large-scale concentration of iron and steel industry has occurred in the following regions:1. The Tokyo-Yokohama Region:It is having all facilities required for the growth of iron-steel industry.

The reclamation of Tokyo Bay provided large, extensive plane land for steel manufacturing units. The Tokyo-China region is the main area in which steel industrial units have been developed at Hitachi and North Tokyo.2. Nagoya Region:It contributes about 20 per cent of the Japanese steel production. This region had witnessed a massive growth of industries within the period 1950-60.3. Osaka-Kobe Region:At the head of the Osaka Bay, a highly industrialised area known as the Kinki has developed. The port of Osaka is the main centre. Other centres of this region are Amagaski, Kobe, Hemegi, Sakai and Wakayama.4.

Fukuoka-Yamaguchi Region:It is located in the extreme south of Japan within Kyushu and westernmost end of Honshu. The first government steel plant was established at Yawata in 1901. Kita-Kyushu is another notable iron and steel centre of this region.5. Oka-Yamaha Region:It is a new industrial region situated in between Osaka-Kobe and Hiroshima.6. Hokkaido Region:The main centre of this region is Murroran. A fairly big sized iron and steel industry has developed here depending upon local coal and iron ore.The most striking feature in the locational pattern of Japan’s steel plants is that they are situated either on the Bay-Coast or on some canal or river. This is because of the fact that most of the Japanese steel plants depend upon outside raw material.

Another feature is that they are located in the heart of great industrial districts which provide ready market for finished steel. In fact, localisation of iron and steel industry in Japan is market-oriented.

United States of America:Once USA was the highest producer of iron and steel but now its rank is third in the world, next to China and Japan. In the US first iron and steel plant was estab­lished in 1629 at Massachusetts. During last 380 years or so the US steel industry has undergone through several changes. This change has not only occurred in growth and production pattern but also in localisation pattern. The major iron and steel regions in the USA are as follows:(i) Appalachian or Pittsburgh Region:The most important of all the regions is the northern Appalachian region of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. This district contains about 42.5 per cent of the blast furnace capacity of the country and its centre, Pittsburgh, is the second greatest centre of steel industry in the world. The mills in this region are located almost exclusively in the narrow valleys of the headwater streams of the Ohio River, including the upper reaches of the Ohio itself.The region, often known as the Pittsburg-Youngstown region, includes several districts.

The Pittsburgh district consists of industries located in the valleys of the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny, within 60 km of Pitts­burgh.The Youngstown or the ‘valley’ districts consist of industries in the valleys of the Shenango and the Mahoning rivers.Wheeling, Johnstown, Stenhenville and Beaver Falls are other important steel-producing centres. The chief disadvantage of the region is its remoteness from the sources of iron ore supplies, which come from the Lake Superior region partly by rail and partly by water.(ii) Lake Region:The lake region falls into:(a) The Lake Erie ports; Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, etc.;(b) The centers near the head of Lake Michigan, Chicago-Gary or Calument district; and(c) The Lake Superior region, Duluth. These districts represent a somewhat different adjustment to the three factors in the localisation of the industry, coal, iron and market. The Lake Erie ports are nearer to the Appalachian coal, but farther from the iron ore than the Duluth region.The Michigan region is midway between the two. One important advantage that all these districts enjoy over the Pittsburg region is that, owing to their location on the lake shores, one extra handling of iron ore is eliminated.On the other hand, these centres are located a little away from the market. Duluth, for example, has in its immediate hinterland the forest, farm, and the ranching country, with little demand for iron and steel goods.Detroit is the largest steel consuming centre in the USA particularly because of its automobile industry.(iii) Atlantic Seaboard Region:On the Atlantic Seaboard, it is only the Middle Atlantic region (New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, etc.) that is important.

ADVERTISEMENTS:Towards the end of the last century, the growth of steel production in countries like China, South Korea, Brazil and India has changed the entire pattern of steel production in the world.Now main producers of iron and steel in the world are China, Japan, USA, Russia, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, Ukraine, India, France, Italy and Great Britain. The other steel-producing countries are South Africa, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, etc. Table 10.1 indicates the production of iron and steel in major countries of the world.Table 10.1Production of iron and steel in major countries of the world:CountriesProduction (in crore tons)Pig ironCrude steelChina131.23128.5Japan80.5105.4. ADVERTISEMENTS:13.620.0Italy10.926.6Great Britain10.916.1It becomes clear from the table that China is the leading producer of iron and steel in the world, which accounts for about 23.9 per cent production of pig iron and 17 per cent of crude steel of the world’s production.Japan is the second largest producer with 14.7 per cent pig iron and 13.9 per cent crude steel production of the world.USA once the highest producer now ranks third in the world followed by Russia. India’s position is 9th in the iron and steel production and its production of pig iron and crude steel accounts for 3.9 and 3.6 per cent respectively.The spatial distribution pattern of iron and steel industry in major countries of the world is as follows (Figure 10.1). China:China is having the oldest system of fabricators of iron, as is evident from its historical records. But until the adoption of her five-year plan in 1953, China had only insignificant iron and steel manufacturing of modern type.Gradually, China has developed the iron and steel industry and now it is the highest producer of iron and steel in the world.Since 1973, growth of steel production in China was spectacular and within a span of 15 years China was able to increase its production of crude steel to 217 percent.

In that period consumption increased 300 per cent. This growth rate clearly reveals the rapid pace of industrialisation that is now going on in China.The iron and steel industry is concentrated in Anshan, Wuhan and Paotow triangle. The biggest iron and steel factory was established in the Chinese mainland at Anshan in Manchuria by Japanese, but was greatly expanded by the Chinese with Russian help.

Other iron and steel production centres in Manchuria are Fushun, Penki, Shenyang, Harphin and Kirin.For Wuhan plants, ore is obtained from Taylh, i.e., 130 km away, and coal from Pingtinghan to the north of Yangtze River. The Wuhan steel plant is also in process of expansion. Other less extensive new steel plants are being created in Siangtan (Hunan), Tientsin, Tangshan, Nanking, Shanghai, etc.At present, China is having following important areas of iron-steel industry:(i) Southern Manchuria is the largest steel plant of China at Anshan and other plants at Pensihu and Mukden.(ii) Shansi is also an old region of iron and steel production. In this region Taiyuan has been developed as a major steel centre.(iii) The Lower Yangtze Valley: In this region Hankow, Shanghai, Hanyang and Chungking are the main centres of iron and steel industry.(iv) Other centres are located at Paotow, Chinling Chen, Canton, Singtao and Huangsih.The growth of iron and steel industry in China has been spectacular. Since 1973, China has increased its production of steel by 220 per cent, although her consumption of steel has also increased more than 300 per cent. Japan:In spite of the shortage of raw material (iron and coal), Japan has become one of the leading steel producers of the world. After China, Japan is the second largest producer of pig iron and crude steel in the world.Yawata, the first steel plant was built in 1901 by government.

Yawata is a major centre of heavy industry with about one fifth of Japan’s steel capacity. Kamaishi in Honshu and Muroran in Hokkaido are small tidewater plants.The number of large-scale plants directly connected with regional mineral resources and those plants are only in Kamaishi, Kosaka, Osarizawa, Hassei (Akita), Hosokura (Miyagi) and Fujine (Iwate).Over half of the Japan’s steel capacity is concentrated near the major port cities of Himeji, Kobe-Osaka and Tokyo-Yokohama areas of South Central Honshu.Almost all the iron and steel plants of Japan are situated near tidewater.

These steel plants, at or near tidewater, are thus able to draw raw materials from many parts of the world and similarly to ship finished products.In Japan, large-scale concentration of iron and steel industry has occurred in the following regions:1. The Tokyo-Yokohama Region:It is having all facilities required for the growth of iron-steel industry. The reclamation of Tokyo Bay provided large, extensive plane land for steel manufacturing units. The Tokyo-China region is the main area in which steel industrial units have been developed at Hitachi and North Tokyo.2. Nagoya Region:It contributes about 20 per cent of the Japanese steel production. This region had witnessed a massive growth of industries within the period 1950-60.3.

Osaka-Kobe Region:At the head of the Osaka Bay, a highly industrialised area known as the Kinki has developed. The port of Osaka is the main centre. Other centres of this region are Amagaski, Kobe, Hemegi, Sakai and Wakayama.4. Fukuoka-Yamaguchi Region:It is located in the extreme south of Japan within Kyushu and westernmost end of Honshu. The first government steel plant was established at Yawata in 1901. Kita-Kyushu is another notable iron and steel centre of this region.5. Oka-Yamaha Region:It is a new industrial region situated in between Osaka-Kobe and Hiroshima.6.

Hokkaido Region:The main centre of this region is Murroran. A fairly big sized iron and steel industry has developed here depending upon local coal and iron ore.The most striking feature in the locational pattern of Japan’s steel plants is that they are situated either on the Bay-Coast or on some canal or river.

This is because of the fact that most of the Japanese steel plants depend upon outside raw material. Another feature is that they are located in the heart of great industrial districts which provide ready market for finished steel.

In fact, localisation of iron and steel industry in Japan is market-oriented. United States of America:Once USA was the highest producer of iron and steel but now its rank is third in the world, next to China and Japan.

In the US first iron and steel plant was estab­lished in 1629 at Massachusetts. During last 380 years or so the US steel industry has undergone through several changes. This change has not only occurred in growth and production pattern but also in localisation pattern.

The major iron and steel regions in the USA are as follows:(i) Appalachian or Pittsburgh Region:The most important of all the regions is the northern Appalachian region of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. This district contains about 42.5 per cent of the blast furnace capacity of the country and its centre, Pittsburgh, is the second greatest centre of steel industry in the world. The mills in this region are located almost exclusively in the narrow valleys of the headwater streams of the Ohio River, including the upper reaches of the Ohio itself.The region, often known as the Pittsburg-Youngstown region, includes several districts. The Pittsburgh district consists of industries located in the valleys of the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny, within 60 km of Pitts­burgh.The Youngstown or the ‘valley’ districts consist of industries in the valleys of the Shenango and the Mahoning rivers.Wheeling, Johnstown, Stenhenville and Beaver Falls are other important steel-producing centres. The chief disadvantage of the region is its remoteness from the sources of iron ore supplies, which come from the Lake Superior region partly by rail and partly by water.(ii) Lake Region:The lake region falls into:(a) The Lake Erie ports; Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, etc.;(b) The centers near the head of Lake Michigan, Chicago-Gary or Calument district; and(c) The Lake Superior region, Duluth.

These districts represent a somewhat different adjustment to the three factors in the localisation of the industry, coal, iron and market. The Lake Erie ports are nearer to the Appalachian coal, but farther from the iron ore than the Duluth region.The Michigan region is midway between the two. One important advantage that all these districts enjoy over the Pittsburg region is that, owing to their location on the lake shores, one extra handling of iron ore is eliminated.On the other hand, these centres are located a little away from the market. Duluth, for example, has in its immediate hinterland the forest, farm, and the ranching country, with little demand for iron and steel goods.Detroit is the largest steel consuming centre in the USA particularly because of its automobile industry.(iii) Atlantic Seaboard Region:On the Atlantic Seaboard, it is only the Middle Atlantic region (New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, etc.) that is important.