Earliest known steel artifacts are from 1800 BCE, earliest discoverings of reliable steel production are from XIII century BCE Anatolia, X century BCE Egyptians discovered tempering which allowed for high-carbon steel, and V-III century BCE south India produced high quality wootz steel.
So steel was actually produced as early as iron, but iron remained easier to produce for most of that time.
7th century I believe
Earliest known steel artifacts are from 1800 BCE, earliest discoverings of reliable steel production are from XIII century BCE Anatolia, X century BCE Egyptians discovered tempering which allowed for high-carbon steel, and V-III century BCE south India produced high quality wootz steel.
So steel was actually produced as early as iron, but iron remained easier to produce for most of that time.