Data released by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) shows that global crude steel production for July 2008 rose 6.2 percent year on year to 117.2 million metric tons.
China is again the world's largest steel producing country with crude steel production of 44.89 million metric tons in July 2008, an increase of 7.5 percent from a year earlier. Total crude steel production in the Asian region amounted to 66.4 million metric tons, up 7.1 percent on a year ago.
Germany produced 3.8 million metric tons of crude steel in July 2008, showing a decline of 5.7 percent year on year. Italy produced an estimated 2.74 million metric tons in the month in question, marking an increase of 4.9 percent compared to July 2007. Production in the UK in July was 1.1 million metric tons, down 3.9 percent year on year.
Production in Turkey in July this year stood at 2.52 million metric tons, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to July 2007.
Brazil's crude steel production in July 2008 rose 11.5 percent year on year to 3.2 million metric tons.
The US produced 8.5 million metric tons in July, registering a 2.7 percent increase year on year.