Global crude steel output up 2.7 percent in July

According to the World Steel Association (worldsteel), in July this year the crude steel output of 64 countries surveyed across the globe reached 132.3 million mt, increasing by 2.7 percent on year-on-year basis and up 3.9 percent compared to July 2011. Total global crude steel production in the first seven months of the current year rose two percent compared to the same period of 2012 and was up 3.5 percent over the first seven months of 2011, amounting to 921.6 million mt.

In July, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 89 million mt, up by 4.9 percent, with 65.5 million mt produced by China, up by 6.2 percent, 9.3 million mt produced by Japan, up by 0.5 percent, and 5.55 million mt produced by South Korea, down by 5.8 percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.

EU-27 countries produced 13.4 million mt of crude steel in July, down six percent compared with July 2012. In July this year, Germany's output was 3.4 million mt, down by 5.4 percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.2 million mt, down 8.5 percent year on year, and France's crude steel output was 1.3 million mt, down nine percent year on year.

Turkey produced 2.8 million metric tons of crude steel in July this year, with a 10.1 percent decrease from the same month in 2012. In July, Turkey, the world's eighth largest steel producer in 2012, declined two places in the ranking of the world's largest steel producers. Iran's crude steel production in July this year amounted to 1.3 million mt, up 16.1 percent compared to May 2012.

The CIS registered a crude steel output of 9.15 million mt in July, down 0.2 percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.75 million mt, decreasing 2.4 percent compared to July 2012, and Ukraine producing 2.8 million mt, up 8.8 percent on year-on-year basis.

In North America in July, crude steel output totaled 10 million mt, up 0.1 percent year on year, with the US producing 7.6 million mt and Mexico producing 1.4 million mt, up 3.3 percent and down 3.4 percent respectively on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in July amounted to 4 million mt, up by 2.7 percent year on year, with Brazil's output totaling 2.95 million mt, down 1.4 percent year on year.

In July this year, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 76.8 percent, down from 79.2 percent in June this year and down 0.8 percentage points compared to the same month last year.

The top 10 crude steel producing countries in the first seven months of 2013 are as follows:

Tonnages (x 1,000 mt)