On August 20, the World Steel Association (worldsteel), formerly the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI), announced world crude steel production results for July 2009 and for the first seven months of the year.
According to the worldsteel report, world crude steel production for the 66 countries surveyed was 103.86 million mt in July, down by 11.1 percent year on year, but up 4.2 percent compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, world crude steel production in the January-July period totaled 652.9 million mt, decreasing by 19.9 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In July, China produced almost half of the world's crude steel output, with 50.676 million metric tons, increasing by 12.6 percent year on year. Japan produced 7.66 million mt of crude steel in July 2009, down by 24.9 percent compared to the same month last year, while South Korea showed a decrease of 13.3 percent from July 2008, producing 4.03 million mt of crude steel. India's crude steel output in July totaled 4.73 million mt, up 4.3 percent year on year.
In the EU, Germany's crude steel production was 2.69 million mt in July, with a yearly decrease of 28.8 percent. In July, Italy produced 1.52 million mt of crude steel, 43.2 percent less than the same month last year, while France showed a decrease of 37.2 percent compared to July 2008, producing 1.1 million mt in July. The crude steel output of Spain, in July 2009 amounted to one million mt, down 32 percent year on year.
The US produced 4.97 million mt of crude steel in July 2009, decreasing by 53.4 percent compared to the same month last year, while Brazil produced 2.49 million mt of crude steel, 22.8 percent lower than in July 2008.
Turkey produced 2.3 million mt of crude steel in July 2009, 8.5 percent down from July 2008.
Iran produced 0.87 million mt crude steel in July, up 15.1 percent year on year.
With respect to crude steel production by region, in the first seven months, EU27 produced 73.495 million mt of crude steel, down 42.1 percent, CIS countries produced 52.466 million mt of crude steel, down 30.7 percent, and the Americas produced 61.439 million mt of crude steel, decreasing by 44.24 percent, all compared to the same period of the previous year. Meanwhile, the crude steel output of Africa reached to 8.38 million mt, down 21.6 percent. The production of Middle East totaled 9.676 million mt, up 0.6 percent, while Asia produced 429 million mt, down 6.1 percent both compared to January-July 2008.
