China, the world’s largest steel producer, produced 90.80 million mt of crude steel in July, up 12% year on year. India, the second-largest world steel producer, saw its production rise 14% year on year to 11.48 million mt.
In Japan, the third-largest worldwide steel producer, production increased 0.9% year on year to 7.39 million mt.
Production in the EU in July fell 7.1% year on year to 10.32 million mt, with production in Germany, the seventh-largest worldwide steel producer, seeing output fall 0.5% to 2.98 million mt.
German output in July was pulled lower by owing to a slowdown in industrial production and subdued market demand, according to WV Stahl, the German steel federation. Electric steel production in particular fared particularly badly in June, falling 17% on the year, according to the federation.
German crude steel output by blast furnaces in July increased 6.1% year on year to 2.26 million mt.
In Iran, crude steel production was heavily disrupted by a cyberattack on June 26 that forced one of the countries largest steel companies, state-owned Khuzestan Steel Company, to halt production.
According to World Steel, Iranian crude steel production was 1.98 million mt in July, down 37% from the previous month but only 1.5% lower year-on-year.
Japanese output was up 0.9% year on year at 7.39 million mt, while US production of 6.95 million mt was 0.5% higher year on year.
South Korea’s production for July was reported at 5.71 million mt, down 9% year on year but 3.3% higher on a monthly basis while Turkey produced 2.89 million mt, up 6.4% year on year
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed domestic hot-rolled coil prices in Northern Europe at Eur635/mt ex-works Ruhr Aug. 21, down 35% since March 30.
