The 66 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel) produced 103,9-million tons of steel in July – its highest monthly production figure for 2009.

In June, global steel output reached 99,8-million, up from May’s production of 95,6-million tons.

However, when compared with a year earlier, the July output declined by 11,1%.

China, which now accounts for about half of the world’s steel output, had increased its year-on-year steel production by 12,6% in July to 50,7-million tons. July was the first time ever that China had produced over 50-million tons of crude steel in a month.

Since April 2009, global and China’s crude steel production had shown a steady month-on-month increase, the association stated.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan produced 7,7-million tons of crude steel in July, down by 24,9% compared with the same month last year. South Korea showed a decline of 13,3% from July 2008, producing four-million tons of crude steel in July 2009.

In the European Union, Germany’s crude steel production was 2,7-million tons in July, a decrease of 28,8% from July 2008. The UK produced 0,8-million tons last month, down by 30,6% from a year earlier.

Worldsteel reported that the US produced five-million tons of crude steel in July 2009, 41,6% lower than July 2008.

Brazil’s July steel output fell by 22,8% to 2,5-million tons.

Russia’s crude steel production for July 2009 was five-million tons, a decrease of 18,4% from July 2008, while the Ukraine produced 2,7-million tons of crude steel in July 2009, 27,7% lower than July 2008.

Turkey produced 2,3-million tons of crude steel in July, down 8,5% from July 2008.

However, Iran boosted production by 15,1% to  0,9-million tons.

Worldsteel noted that in July, almost all the major steel producing countries, including China, Japan, Germany, the US, Brazil, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, showed their highest monthly figures so far this year.


Total crude steel production in the 66 reporting countries for the first seven months of 2009 was 653-million tons, a 19,9% decrease over the same period of 2008.