According to the World Steel Association (worldsteel), in July this year the crude steel output of 62 countries surveyed across the globe reached 129.7 million mt, increasing by two percent on year-on-year basis and up 1.7 percent compared to June this year. Total global crude steel production in the first seven months of the current year increased slightly by 0.8 percent compared to the same period of 2011, amounting to 895.4 million mt.
In July, crude steel output in Asia amounted to 85.3 million mt, up by four percent, with 61.7 million mt produced by China, up by four percent, 9.15 million mt produced by Japan, up by one percent, and 5.66 million mt produced by South Korea, up by four percent - with all comparisons on year-on-year basis.
EU-27 countries produced 14.2 million mt of crude steel in July this year, down five percent compared with July 2011. In July this year, Germany's output was 3.6 million mt, down by two percent year on year, Italy's crude steel output was 2.4 million mt, down eight percent year on year, Spain's crude steel output was 1 million mt, up seven percent year on year, and France's crude steel output was 1.38 million mt, down six percent year on year.
Turkey produced 3.1 million metric tons of crude steel in July this year, with a 10 percent increase over the same month in 2011. Meanwhile, Iran's crude steel production in July of the current year amounted to 1.1 million mt, while it did not register any crude steel output in July 2011.
The CIS registered a crude steel output of 9.5 million mt in July, up three percent year on year, with Russia producing 5.9 million mt, increasing four percent compared to July 2011, and Ukraine producing 3 million mt, up six percent on year-on-year basis.
In North America in July, crude steel output reached 10.2 million mt, up one percent year on year, with the US producing 7.4 million mt and Mexico producing 1.45 million mt, up one percent and down seven percent respectively on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile, crude steel output in South America in July amounted to 4 million mt, down by six percent year on year, with Brazil's output totaling 3 million mt, down by four percent year on year.
In July this year, the average capacity utilization of steel mills across the globe was 78.7 percent, decreasing from 80.4 percent recorded in June this year, and down 0.8 percentage points compared to the same month last year.