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Steel production in Russia falls by 10.4% to 15.6 mln tons in Q1

Russia's steel production dropped 10.4% year-on-year in Q1 2026 to 15.6 million tons, according to preliminary data from Chermet Corporation. Global steel output in March fell 4.2% to 159.9 million metric tons, as reported by the World Steel Association, with notable declines in China and the Middle East.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Apr 10–23, 2026 Published Aug 14

Lead

Steel production in Russia fell by 10.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, totaling 15.6 million tons, according to preliminary data from the information and analytical company Chermet Corporation, as carried by TASS. The decline reflects a broader slowdown in global steel output, with the World Steel Association (WSA) reporting a 4.2% year-on-year decrease in world production for March.

Coverage Comparison

The two TASS reports present data from different sources and timeframes, with some discrepancies in the March figures. The first report, dated April 10, cites Chermet Corporation's preliminary data showing March output at 5.2 million tons, a 13.1% decline from a year earlier. A second TASS report, published April 23, quotes WSA data indicating March production of 5.4 million metric tons, an 11.4% decrease. These differences likely reflect varying collection methodologies and reporting timelines, with Chermet providing national statistics and WSA offering a global dataset.

Key Claims

Q1 2026 Steel Production: Russia produced 15.6 million tons of steel in the first three months of 2026, down 10.4% year-on-year. This figure comes from Chermet Corporation's preliminary data, as reported by TASS.
March Figures Discrepancy: Chermet reports a 13.1% decline to 5.2 million tons, while WSA data shows an 11.4% drop to 5.4 million metric tons. Both sources acknowledge a significant year-on-year reduction.
Other Ferrous Products: According to Chermet, finished ferrous metal production fell 6.4% to 14 million tons, iron ore output declined 7.6% to 24.6 million tons, and gross dry coke production decreased 7.3% to 5.4 million tons. Pig iron production dropped 5.8% to 12.2 million tons, and steel pipe production plunged 28% to 2 million tons.
Global Context: Global steel production in March 2026 was 159.9 million metric tons, a 4.2% decline year-on-year, per WSA data. China produced 87 million metric tons (-6.3%), India 15.3 million tons (+9.4%), Japan 6.9 million tons (-4.1%), and the United States 7.2 million tons (+5.2%).
Regional Trends: In March, the EU produced 11.4 million tons (-4.6%), North America 9.5 million tons (+3.5%), South America 3.6 million tons (-0.5%), and the Middle East 3.5 million tons (-33.5%). Asia and Oceania combined for 119.3 million tons (-3.9%). CIS countries, including Russia and Ukraine, produced 6.6 million tons (-7.9%).

Perspectives

While the overall trend points to a contraction in Russian steel output, the reasons behind the decline are not addressed in the available reporting. The TASS articles attribute the data to industry sources (Chermet Corporation and WSA) but do not offer causal explanations, such as potential market conditions, sanctions, or shifts in domestic demand. Analysts might interpret these figures as reflecting structural pressures on Russia's industrial sector, but further context would be needed to substantiate such interpretations.

Neither report provides commentary on the implications for the Russian economy or global markets. The drop in the Middle East production (-33.5%) stands out as a notable outlier, yet the sources do not elaborate on regional drivers. The data align with a general global slowdown, though India and North America bucked the trend with production increases.

How this outlet told it

TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC

Framing: Russian steel production decline — Neutral

Facts Included:

Steel production in Russia in Q1 2026 fell by 10.4% year-on-year to 15.6 mln tons
Steel production in Russia in March decreased by 13.1% to 5.2 mln tons
Finished ferrous metal production for the first three months of 2026 decreased by 6.4% to 14 mln tons
Iron ore production decreased by 7.6% to 24.6 mln tons
Gross dry coke production for the reporting period decreased by 7.3% to 5.4 mln tons
Pig iron production from January to March decreased by 5.8%, reaching 12.2 mln tons
Steel pipe production fell by 28%, to 2 mln tons

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC

Framing: Global steel production decline — Informative

Facts Included:

Steel production in Russia in March 2026 decreased by 11.4% year-on-year and amounted to 5.4 mln metric tons
Global steel production in March 2026 amounted to 159.9 mln metric tons, which is 4.2% less than a year earlier
Steel production in other countries such as China, India, Japan, and the United States
Steel production in the EU, North America, South America, and the Middle East

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimSteel production in Russia in Q1 2026 fell by 10.4% year-on-year to 15.6 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production in Russia in March decreased by 13.1% to 5.2 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production in Russia in March 2026 decreased by 11.4% year-on-year and amounted to 5.4 mln metric tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimFinished ferrous metal production for the first three months of 2026 decreased by 6.4% to 14 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimIron ore production decreased by 7.6% to 24.6 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimGross dry coke production for the reporting period decreased by 7.3% to 5.4 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimPig iron production from January to March decreased by 5.8%, reaching 12.2 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel pipe production fell by 28%, to 2 mln tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 10, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC
ClaimGlobal steel production in March 2026 amounted to 159.9 mln metric tons, which is 4.2% less than a year earlier.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimChina produced 87 mln metric tons of steel in March 2026, which is 6.3% less year-on-year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimIndia produced 15.3 mln metric tons of steel in March 2026, which is 9.4% more year-on-year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production in Japan plunged by 4.1%, to 6.9 mln metric tons in March 2026.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production in the United States increased by 5.2% to 7.2 mln metric tons in March 2026.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production in Russia, Ukraine, and other CIS countries amounted to 6.6 mln metric tons in March 2026, which is 7.9% less than a year earlier.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimCountries of Asia and Oceania produced 119.3 million metric tons of steel in March 2026, with the output decreasing by 3.9% year-on-year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe EU countries produced 11.4 million metric tons of steel in March 2026, which is 4.6% less than a year earlier.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production by North American countries in March 2026 increased by 3.5% year-on-year to 9.5 million metric tons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimSteel production by South American countries in March 2026 amounted to 3.6 mln metric tons, which is 0.5% lower year-on-year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimMiddle East countries produced 3.5 mln tons of steel in March 2026, reducing the output by 33.5% year-on-year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 23, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 2 articles consulted: TASS — English 19 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-14