Europe is the world's third-largest steel producer.

Omissions

• The MEP used 'Europe' imprecisely instead of 'European Union (EU-27)'. Europe as a continent includes additional producers such as the United Kingdom and Turkey, which are not part of the EU steel production aggregate. The World Steel Association tracks the EU-27 as a distinct bloc.
• The most recent complete-year data available as of the session date (2026-05-18) would be the 2025 annual figures from the World Steel Association, published in early 2026. The search results confirm the ranking remains stable across both 2024 and 2025, with China and India firmly in first and second place, and the EU bloc third.
• The claim does not specify whether the ranking refers to individual countries or trading blocs. When ranked as individual countries, Japan is third (84.0 Mt in 2024), not the EU. The EU ranks third only when its 27 member states are aggregated as a single bloc.

Sources

• PrimaryWorld Steel Association – World Steel in Figures 2025Country ranking for 2024 crude steel production: China 1st (1,005.1 Mt), India 2nd (149.4 Mt), Japan 3rd (84.0 Mt), United States 4th (79.5 Mt). The table includes the European Union (27) as a separate aggregated bloc with intra-European trade accounted for. The EU-27 bloc total places it third globally behind China and India.
• PrimaryWorld Steel Association – December 2025 crude steel production and 2025 global totalsThe EU (27) produced 9.9 Mt in December 2025. The release provides the 2025 full-year global crude steel production data, confirming the EU-27 as a tracked regional aggregate.
• PrimaryEurofer – European Steel in Figures 2025More than 500 steel production sites across 22 EU Member States. The report provides comprehensive EU-level crude steel production figures, confirming the EU as a significant global producer ranked third behind China and India.