Data released by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) show that global crude steel production rose 14.8 percent year on year to 103.6 million metric tons in July 2006. China is again the largest steel-producing country with crude steel production of 36.1 million metric tons in July, an increase of 22.2 percent from a year earlier. Japan's crude steel production rose 4.5 percent year on year to 9.9 million metric tons. Total production in the Asia region amounted to 55.2 million metric tons, an increase of 16.4 percent from a year earlier. Total crude steel production in the European Union was 16.6 million metric tons in July. Germany produced 4 million metric tons, Italy 2.8 million metric tons and France 1.8 million metric tons. Brazil's crude steel production rose 9.4 percent year on year to 2.7 million metric tons in July.
Global crude steel production (in thousands of metric tons) July June July %change 7 months 2006 2005 2005 Jul-06/05 2006 2005 %change Other Europe 2.876 2.852 2.465 16.7 19.227 17.368 10.7 EU (15) 14.477 15.028 12.968 11.6 102.779 98.473 4.4 EU (25) 16.573 17.228 14.561 13.8 117.547 111.386 5.5 C.I.S 10.260 10.013 8.959 14.5 68.941 64.819 6.4 N.America 11.336 11.416 9.712 16.7 78.679 73.597 6.9 S.America 3.941 3.595 3.671 7.4 25.664 26.369 -2.7 Africa 1.402 1.467 1.475 -4.9 9.811 10.339 -5.1 MiddleEast 1.220 1.211 1.211 0.7 8.643 8.462 2.1 Asia 55.225 55.619 47.424 16.4 366.842 324.467 13.1 Ocenia 741 753 739 0.2 5.045 4.999 0.9 Total 103.573 104.154 90.216 14.8 700.399 641.806 9.1 62 countries