Global crude steel production totaled 149.3 million mt in July, down 6.5% year on year and down 5.9% on the month to the lowest month level since February, according to World Steel Association data published Aug. 23.

          This brought total production for the first seven months of 2022 to 1.1 billion mt, down 5.4% on the year.

          Largest steelmaker China produced 81.4 million mt in July, down 6.4% from a year ago and falling 10.3% on the month to a six-month low, making up 54.5% of total global crude steel output.

          This brought January-July steel production in China to 609.3 million mt, down 6.4% year on year.

          However. the world’s second-largest steel producer India saw production grow 3.2% year on year in July to 10.1 million mt, which was also up 1.4% month on month, the data showed.

          India’s January-July output also rose 8% to 73.3 million, according to worldsteel.

          Japan’s July production was at a six-month low of 7.3 million mt, down 8.5% on the year and 1.6% lower from June, with January-July output down 4.9% on the year to 53.3 million mt, the data showed.

          July output from the US fell 6.4% year on year, but rose 3.6% on the month to 7 million mt, taking January-July production to 48 million mt, down 3% year on year.

          Russia was estimated to have produced 5.5 million mt in July, falling 13.2% from July 2021, but up 10% from June, which had been the lowest monthly volume since S&P Global Commodity Insight’s records began at the start of 2018.

          Russia’s estimated January-July output was also 7% lower on the year at 41.4 million mt.

          South Korea produced 6.1 million mt of crude steel in July, down 0.6% year on year, but up 9% from June, with the seven-month volume down 3.4% on the year to 39.9 million mt.