Crude steel production for the 64 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) rose 5.8% on-year in July to 154.6 million tonnes, accelerating further the overall recovery seen so far in 2018.

Output in Asia grew 6.3% to 108.98mt, driven by a 7.2% and estimated 8% growth respectively in China and India to 81.24mt and 9mt, according to the monthly data published by worldsteel. India has thus overtaken Japan as the world’s second-largest steel-producing country, as Japanese output slumped -2% to 8.42mt. South Korean production was flat at 6.18mt.

EU output growth accelerated further compared to June, rising 3.9% in July to 14.53mt. This came as output in Germany, Italy and Spain is estimated to have risen 10.9%, 3.3% and 20.1% respectively to 3.9mt, 2.21mt and 1.2mt. Meanwhile French production is estimated to have slumped -3.8% to 1.31mt while Polish production is estimated to have fallen -4.6% to 870,000t.

Turkey saw output fall -2.3% to 3.27mt in July, but Iranian output grew 13.2% to 1.98mt. Russian production during the same month is estimated to have risen 0.8% in July to 6.17mt, while Ukrainian output grew 11.4% to 1.82mt.

In the Americas, US production increased 4.5% to 7.28mt, while Brazilian output rose 6.7% to 3.02mt. In the Middle East

Overall the biggest changes were registered by Saudi Arabia’s Hadeed which increased by 39.5% its crude steel output in July to 503,000t, while Austria saw its output slump -47.8% to 354,000t after falling -28% in June.