To produce a low carbon free cutting steel obtained by a continuous casting process but having excellent machinability equal to or higher than that of a free cutting steel produced by an ingoting process, more particularly chip treatability, and also to provide a method for the production of such a low carbon free cutting steel.

This steel is obtained by a continuous casting process and contains, by mass, 0.2-2% Mn and 0.05-0.4% S. In this steel, the average size of sulfide inclusions is ≤50 μm and the sulfide inclusions exist by ≥750 pieces/mm2. Further, the low carbon free cutting steel mentioned above can be produced by performing operation while regulating cooling rate at the time of casting to (25 to 50)°C/min.