Data released by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) show that global crude steel production rose 12.7 percent year on year to 103.8 million metric tons in June 2006. China is again the largest steel-producing country with crude steel production of 36.6 million metric tons in June, an increase of 18.5 percent from a year earlier. Japan's crude steel production rose 2.5 percent year on year to 9.7 million metric tons. Total production in the Asia region amounted to 55.7 million metric tons, an increase of 14 percent from a year earlier. Total crude steel production in the European Union was 17.1 million metric tons in June. Germany produced 4 million metric tons, Italy 2.7 million metric tons and France 1.8 million metric tons. Brazil's crude steel production fell 4.4 percent year on year to 2.4 million metric tons in May.
Global crude steel production (in thousands of metric tons) June May June %change 6 months 2006 2005 2005 Jun-06/05 2006 2005 %change Other Europe 2.871 2.817 2.486 15.5 16.365 14.903 9.8 EU (15) 15.006 15.323 13.565 10.6 88.132 85.505 3.1 EU (25) 17.146 17.522 15.249 12.4 100.743 96.825 4.0 C.I.S 10.013 10.487 8.696 15.1 58.681 56.544 3.8 N.America 11.073 11.726 9.790 13.1 66.896 63.910 4.7 S.America 3.605 3.744 3.666 -1.7 21.734 22.698 -4.3 Africa 1.465 1.456 1.482 -1.1 8.406 8.865 -5.2 MiddleEast 1.211 1.249 1.196 1.3 7.423 7.251 2.4 Asia 55.650 55.268 48.813 14.0 311.173 276.734 12.4 Ocenia 735 710 715 2.8 4.286 4.260 0.6 Total 103.767 104.979 92.092 12.7 595.707 551.989 7.9 62 countries