The World Steel Association (Worldsteel) reported on Monday that global steel production had increased to 106,5-million tons in August, from 103,9-million tons in July.

However, on a year-on-year basis, the August output was 5,5% lower.

Worldsteel reported that almost all the major steel producing countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, the US and Brazil, had showed their highest monthly figures so far this year.

China’s output had surged to a record 52,3-million tons – the highest ever amount of steel it had produced in one month. The Asian giant boosted year-on-year production by 22% and accounted for almost 50% of global steel output in August. In July, China produced 50,7-million tons.

Japan’s production fell by 18,3% year-on-year to 8,3-million tons, while South Korea showed a decline of 5,4% from August 2008, producing 4,2-million tons of crude steel in August 2009.

In the European Union, Germany’s crude steel production was three-million tons last month, a 26% drop from August 2008. Spain’s year-on-year output fell by 35,2% to 1,1-million tons. Turkey produced 2,3-million tons, which was 9,1% less than a year earlier.

Worldsteel reported that the US produced 5,2-million tons of steel in August, which was 40% less than the same month last year.

Brazil’s output fell by 15% to 2,6-million tons of steel in August.

Iran produced 0,9-million tons of crude steel in August 2009, 15,2% more than in August 2008.

The total crude steel production in the 66 reporting countries to Worldsteel had decreased by 18,1% in the first eight months of 2009 to 759,5-million tons, when compared with the same period in 2008.